The Golden Lions Rugby Union on Monday announced several changes to the MTN Lions’ upcoming Lions Challenge fixture schedule.
Golden Lions Media Release
Matches against Samoa, the Stormers and the Sharks will go ahead as scheduled, while there have been changes to other fixtures.
At the request of French side Agen, the fixture scheduled against their team on May 11 has been cancelled. This as a result of Agen’s relegation from the Top 14 tournament.
The GLRU is, however, pleased to announce that Ellis Park will play host to a Vodacom Cup semi-final clash against Western Province this Saturday at 14h15 instead. The MTN Golden Lions will look to field a full strength side for this fixture.
Regarding the French Barbarians match scheduled for June 8, the GLRU have opted to draft in a South African Barbarians team instead. The side will include several established South African players based both locally and abroad. More details will follow in the upcoming weeks.
Additionally, the original agreement made between the GLRU and Montpellier, with regards to the match scheduled for July 12, still stands. This agreement will see the fixture cancelled should Montpellier qualify for the Top 14 play-offs. An alternate first-class fixture is currently on standby should the match be cancelled.
The match scheduled for July 20, which will see the MTN Lions face Grenoble at Ellis Park, will be confirmed in the weeks ahead.
The Lions are finished.
Long live the Kings!
1 @ Loosehead:
How you reckon that the Lions are dead?
Sure I agree that the management of the GLRU have once again failed in their endeavours to provide any consistent sort of decent opposition for the team, but once the North American tour was cancelled the Lions made it public tghat they would then concentrate on the Vodacom Cup.
Since then they haven’t lost a game, beatting both the (up until then) unbeaten Noth Section log leader the Pumas in Nelspruit, and the Souther Log winners the Sharks in Deben.
Sandwiched in between a decidedly second string Lions side went out and did the number on the Limpopo Blue Bulls.
The Lions also went to Kimeberley and beat Griquas convincingly.
So to say that the “Lionns ar finished”, may be something of a delusional statement.
The Kings on the other hand are starting to find out the realities of Super Rugby. Injuries, fatigue and a lack of player depth are no jokes in a tournament such as this.
Momentum is buildiung for the Lions, which could well break down with minimal / poor quality fixtures for July, but I reckon that IF the promotion / relegation games take place, it’ll be a closely contested thing.
Personally, I don’t think the Lions will play the Kings in any promotion / relegation series.
Between SARU, the Government and Cheeky Watson’s influences the Kings will get at least another year in the competition.
IF any promotion / relegation games take place, it maybe against the second last SA franchise.
The problem for the Lions is that their poor managerial performance over the last 18 months has not exactly put them in a favourable bargaining position with SARU / SANZAR on this issue.
Kevin de Klerk is nearlyh at the end of his 4 year term as President and whether he decides to stand for re-election or not, one must question the results of his term in office.
At his acceptance speech in 2009, I was convinced that it was a change for the better that we had made for Lions Rugby, yet the following four years have been dissapointing.
In many ways I’m VERY glad that I’m no longer involved in Lions Club Rugby.
It grieves me to see such poor administration and management.
If I ran my business like the GLRU does, I wouldn’t be able to feed and clothe my family.
2 @ Scrumdown:So in other words they are finished? No S rugby, no big name players, unless playing Vodacom Cup is good enough?
Do you think that IF there is a play off game the Lions will beat the Kings?
@ Loosehead:
Like any Promotion / Relegation series it could go either way.
I don’t see anything in the Kings’ performances that makes them any better than the Lions were in 2012.
It’ll be a close series IMO.
One point to remember is that all of the Lions loan players have to return at least 2 weeks before the promotion / relegation games, excluding Jantjies IF the Mountain Goats make the play off.
4 @ Scrumdown: You would be better off without Jankies.
2 @ Scrumdown:
The Lions are like an animal in a trap, just before it blows out it’s last breath…
In December or January when they initially announced The Lions Challenge Series, what should have happened was that they should have made it clear that these were proposed games… and that some were not finalised yet.
In stead they jumped the gun and declared this whole freegin series as on and already arranged.
Now we’ve already had the American Tour cancelled – and I recon there was no money or means to go on tour.
Most of the French sides have and are cancelling – also no funding???
The French Barbarians will be replaced with some farking South African Barbarians…
Quite frankly, these are classic signs of a company in it’s last throws before going down…
How long do you think the creditors (75 million Rand or thereabouts) will be kept at bay before someone comes with a legitimate Liquidation Application? Hell, it might even be deliberately better to push the Union over and start a new Lions Franchise from the ashes, from a financial point of view.
Look, you know very well that I’d prefer the Lions in Super Rugby as opposed to the Kings, but one has to be realistic and say that the Lions are constantly re-embarrassing themselves and constantly setting new bounds for inept business management. If the rest of SA feel like I do and a large percentage of Lions supporters are starting to feel the same, then maybe it’s time to bid farewell to the GLRu as we know it… sink that ship… and build a NEW JHB LIONS UNION!
@ grootblousmile:
It’s no use preaching to the converted!
As I elsewhere, when those involved in the GLRU spent MANY hours in meetings away from the Union trying to push for management change we ALL (except maybe for Manie R) truly expected things to get better.
de Klerk’s acceptance speech was inspiring and I for one didn’t expect things to go as they have.
That Kevin de Klerk’s reign as President has, in my personal opinion been an absolute disaster is there for all to see.
What forced the man into becoming so aligned with the already entrenched malaise that pervades the whole of the Union only he will be able to tell, and as you are well aware, the quality and quantity of communication eminating from Doornfontein is as bad now as it ever has been.
The Lions Challenge misfire is in precisely the same vain as the Gijima equity deal.
Poorly planned, poorly publicised, and absolutely piss poorly executed.
How Johan Ackermann is managing to keep the players even remotely motivated only he will know.
As for those still within the GLRU structures who are willing / able to bring about regime change, I fear the worst.
KdK is in his own way as dictatorial as the late Dr Luyt, but without the wherewithall to do anything.
I fear the worst for the Lions unless there is a palave revolution or a wealthy benefactor dies and leaves them millions somewhere.
As you say, maybe someone should bring about the required application for liquidation and start the process, but you know as well as I do that SARU would do just enough to keep the Union afloat, because the fact of the matter is that far too many high quality young players come out of the JHB area, and SARU needs a toothless Lion to do their bidding in this regard. (IMO anyway!)
That KdK has been a disaster (IMO) is here for all to see.
1 Currie Cup victory, a disasterous string of SR campaigns followed by ejection, the absolute debacle surrounding John Mitchell’s disciplinary, and now the Mac Hendricks story, and one has to wonder WTF is going on over there.
Personally, I’ll always support the team, even though I reckon that their glory days are long gone.
Time to sell Ellis Park, raze it to the ground and build a mall?
I drove past Ellis Park last week. Seri-aaasly dodgy.
7 @ Scrumdown:
Look, I’m not advocating the demise of the Lions, I’m rather advocating a demise of the Companies / Entities / Structures who own and Administer the Golden Lions… in other words, topple them because of their debt burden… and let a New Lions Structure rise from the ashes.. debt free, providing a place for the wealth of talent in and around Joburg.
That alone would be a massive undertaking, not able if someone / some entity with multi-bucks does not invest in setting it up.
The current situation is a grave and untennable situation and would clearly require a totally new approach in thinking, something the current leaders and staff are incapable of doing or even impossible to achieve within the current financial constraints.
It seems as if all new investment an endeavour is currently just pumped into a bottomless pit, into a cesspool, barely keeping creditors happy enough not to liquidate the Union and it’s structures.
Do the GLRU companies and structures even earn enough on a yearly basis to just service interest on the massive deficit… or are they slowly slipping further and further into the abyss and away from possible salvage, that is the prime question that must be raised and clearly answered by someone with massive brass balls. The way forfard would then be much clearer.
The current administration is so ensconsed that they won’t want to be toppled and their precious empire toppled, for a more successful giant to rise from the ashes… and that’s what I have a problem with.
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