The resurgence in the Lions den

OPINION: With the United Rugby Championship on a month-long break for the November internationals, the Lions find themselves in their best ever URC position yet with six rounds into the competition.

Let’s take a look back at the Lions’ history back in Super Rugby, first known as Transvaal, they won the Super 10 in 1993 against Auckland (now known as the Blues in Super Rugby) at Ellis Park and made the Final again in 1995 when they fell short to Queensland (now the Reds) – before competing as the Cats as a combined team with the Cheetahs, Leopards and Pumas.

They finished at the bottom of the table in 1998, 2003, and 2004 but managed to reach the semifinals in 2000 and 2001 under the coaching of New Zealander Laurie Mains.

The Cats were disbanded following the 2006 Super Rugby season where the finished a lowley 13th place, with the competition being expanded from the Super 12 to the Super 14 as the Cheetahs broke away to be an independent Super Rugby franchise alongside the introduction of Australia’s Western Force.

The Cats were officially rebranded to the Lions in September 2006 and they competed in the competition until 2012 – finishing last in 2008, 2010 and 2012 respectively before being automatically relegated for the Eastern Cape’s Southern Kings.

Following two promotion-relegation matches against the Kings in 2013, the Lions returned to Super Rugby with a bang in 2014. They defeated the Stormers in the opening round by 30-10.

Despite finishing in 12th place, they bettered their position in 2015 by finishing in eighth place, just behind the Crusaders and were a mere five points short of making the top six and qualifying for the knockout rounds.

That growth proved to be no fluke in 2016 when they surprised friend and foe to reach their first Final and knock over some big names in the competition, most notably the Chiefs away from home who won the competition in 2012 and 2013. They ultimately fell short at the last hurdle against the Hurricanes away from home by 3-20.

They would reach a further two Finals in 2017 and 2018 respectively against the Crusaders who started their dynasty under now All Blacks coach Scott Robertson, and many Lions fans would feel to this day had it not been for a Kwagga Smith red card in 2017, they would’ve clinched the Championship that season at Ellis Park.

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Since then the departure of coach Johan Ackermann and several star players such as Franco Mostert, Faf de Klerk, Malcolm Marx and the retirement following a long-term injury to inspirational captain Warren Whiteley, the Johannesburg-based side didn’t have the same fight until 2020 when the season was called off due to the global pandemic.

The Lions entered the rebranded Pro 14 competition in 2021 now known as the United Rugby Championship alongside fellow South African franchises the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers who clinched the title in their first season.

They finished in 12th place in 2022, ninth place in 2023 as well as in 2024, just missing out on a play-off spot on both occasions and could’ve made it had they beaten the Stormers away from home in their final clash.

The 2024/25 season seems to mirror that of 2016 – having beaten Ulster for the first time in the competition at Ellis Park and were unbeaten in the competition alongside Leinster who broke their winning streak in Dublin in their last clash before the November break.

They are currently in fourth position behind the Bulls, Glasgow and the unbeaten Leinster who sits at the top, but with a game in hand as the South African franchises’ opening clashes were rescheduled due to the Currie Cup Final that took place that same weekend on September 21.

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It’s a clash in which the Lions agonisingly fell short when they looked to have sealed the title before former teammate Jordan Hendrikse slotted a penalty after the full-time hooter to clinch the title for the Sharks.

The Lions will resume their season against Munster away from home on November 30 as they will look to build on their best start in the competition and who knows, maybe this is the season that the Lions will win a major trophy.

With the Challenge Cup also still waiting in the wings, there should be no reason to believe that Ivan van Rooyen’s charges could do what Johan Ackermann’s golden group couldn’t and bring some silverware back to Ellis Park in 2025.