Lions · History

Ellis Park, opened in Johannesburg in June 1928 and rebuilt after it was demolished in 1979, was home to the Lions, the professional franchise of the Golden Lions Rugby Union, for their whole time in Super Rugby. The stadium, in the Doornfontein district, seats 62,567 for rugby. It hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, which South Africa won 15–12 against New Zealand after extra time. It has also carried sponsors' names: Coca-Cola Park from 2008 to 2012 and Emirates Airline Park from 2015 to June 2025. The team played in Super Rugby from 1996 to 2020, reached three straight finals between 2016 and 2018 and moved to the United Rugby Championship in 2021.

Origins in Transvaal

The franchise traces back to the Transvaal Rugby Football Union, founded in Johannesburg in 1889. The union played in the first Currie Cup in 1892 and won it for the first time in 1922. It was renamed the Lions in 1993, Gauteng Lions in 1997 and Golden Lions Rugby Union in 1998. When the Super 12 began in 1996, the province entered as Transvaal, coached by Kitch Christie and captained by Francois Pienaar. It finished tenth of twelve with three wins and eight defeats. In 1997, as Gauteng Lions under coach Ray Mordt and captain Kobus Wiese, it climbed to fifth with five wins, one draw and five losses.

The Cats years (1998–2005)

From 1998 the franchise played as the Cats. The side was built around the Golden Lions but also drew players from the Free State Cheetahs, the Griffons and Griquas. It finished bottom in its first season. New Zealander Laurie Mains took over for 2000, and the Cats reached the semi-finals in 2000 and 2001. They finished fourth and third, with seven wins and four defeats in each regular season. André Vos was captain in 2000 and Rassie Erasmus in 2001. The Cats could not build on those results and were last again in 2003 and 2004. The arrangement with the Free State unions ended in 2006, when the Cheetahs joined the competition as a franchise of their own.

Lions, relegation and return

In September 2006 the franchise was renamed the Lions. Lean years followed, with last-place finishes in 2008, 2010 and 2012. In August 2012 the South African Rugby Union voted to remove them from Super Rugby and give their 2013 place to the Southern Kings. The Lions spent that year outside the competition. At the end of the 2013 season they beat the Southern Kings in a two-leg play-off to win back their place from 2014.

Three finals under Ackermann and De Bruin

Johan Ackermann and Swys de Bruin led the comeback, with Warren Whiteley as captain from 2014. The team finished twelfth in 2014 and eighth in 2015. In 2016 they won the South African conference with eleven wins and four defeats and were second overall. On 6 August 2016 they played their first final, at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, and lost 20–3 to the Hurricanes. In 2017 they topped the table with fourteen wins and one defeat and hosted the final at Ellis Park on 5 August. Kwagga Smith was sent off just before half-time, and the Lions went down 25–17 to the Crusaders in front of 62,000 spectators. Ackermann left at the end of that season and De Bruin took charge for 2018. That year the Lions finished second and reached a third consecutive final, which they lost 37–18 to the Crusaders in Christchurch on 4 August 2018. Ackermann's record stood at 45 wins, one draw and 22 defeats in 68 matches. Fly-half Elton Jantjies holds the franchise record for points in a season, with 190.

Currie Cup titles

While the franchise played Super Rugby, the Golden Lions union kept competing in the Currie Cup. It won the title in 2011, beating the Sharks 42–16, and in 2015, beating Western Province 32–24. It lost the finals of 2014, 2019, 2024 and 2025.

From Super Rugby to the URC

Ivan van Rooyen became head coach in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of that Super Rugby season with the Lions in thirteenth place, after one win in six games. In 2021 it was announced that they would join the Pro14, later renamed the United Rugby Championship. They played the South African section of the Rainbow Cup as a transition and finished fourth of four. In the first URC season, which began in September 2021, they finished twelfth and qualified for the 2022–23 Challenge Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals. They were ninth in 2022–23 and 2023–24 and eleventh in 2024–25. In 2025–26 they finished seventh and lost 59–10 to Leinster in the quarter-finals.