Lions prodigy soaking up lessons from Bok ‘hero’
INTERVIEW: The Lions are renowned for their strong pathway system, which has produced several quality players over the years.
Their latest graduate to break into the senior side is Siba Mahashe, who made his United Rugby Championship (URC) debut this past weekend against the Sharks at Ellis Park.
It was a dream first appearance for the 22-year-old, who put in a decent shift and topped it up by scoring a try in his side’s 34-22 victory against the Durban-based outfit.
“If I’m being honest, I didn’t expect to start. I was hoping to make my URC debut, but starting was the last thing on my mind,” Mahashe told Rugby365.
“I was very excited leading up to the match because this is what I have been working towards since I joined the Lions after high school.
“Getting the opportunity to represent the club with some of my role models meant the world to me.”
The versatile loose forward hails from East London in the Eastern Cape and attended Hudson Park High School.
He represented and captained the Border Under-18 side at the 2023 Craven Week before donning the green and gold for the SA Schools’ team.
After school, the youngster joined the Lions’ youth structures, where he made an immediate impact and was quickly identified as a leader.
He also had a stint with the Junior Boks and captained the Lions U21 side during the SA Cup last year.
“The journey hasn’t been easy at all,” he added.
“Coming out of school and getting into the semi-professional setup was tough. I had ambitions to play for the Junior Boks straight out of school, and that didn’t happen, but I got that chance in my senior year.
“I had to wait and work a bit harder to finally break into senior rugby, but I knew my time was coming. I focused on the junior side, and after some time there, I was ready to make the step up.”
Mahashe made his senior debut in the EPCR Challenge Cup against Lyon last month.
He says the jump to senior rugby has been challenging and keeps him on his toes daily. He’s relied on experienced players in the team, one of whom has been his role model for a long time.
“The professional level is so intense and physical,” he explained.
“But I’ve got good players around me, and one of the players I look up to is Ruan Venter.
“I’ve always been a fan of him, and we were in touch for a long time, and when I got to the Lions, he welcomed me.
“He’s one of my heroes, and getting to share the field with him was a dream come true. I actually asked him for a picture after the game.”
The Lions barged into the top eight after beating the Sharks. They’ll welcome the Stormers on Saturday, and the youngster says they won’t be resting on their laurels.
“It’s a new challenge, so we will have to reset and start from scratch.
“What’s important is that we train well, apply ourselves and focus on what needs to be done for us to perform well against the Stormers.
“They are second on the log, so it will be tough. But if we prepare well, we should give them a run for their money.”
