Emirates Lions scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and prop Corne Fourie both are now officially part of the Lions Vodacom Super Rugby squad for the 2016 season after previously only being on loan from the Mpumalanga Pumas.
The Lions unveiled their Super Rugby squad, from which a lot is expected in 2016, and have retained the bulk of the players who won the Absa Currie Cup this past season.
De Klerk and Fourie are joined by Leopards scrumhalf Dillon Smit and lock Robert Kruger, both of whom have made the move from Potchefstroom to the Super Rugby franchise.
In addition to the players who won the Currie Cup, flanker Derick Minnie is back after a knee injury, while Ruan Combrinck and Harold Verster also return from injuries to join the side.
Both Elton Jantjies and Lionel Mapoe, who missed out on Rugby World Cup duty and are in Japan, return to the Lions along with Akker van der Merwe and Warwick Tecklenburg after spells overseas.
The only Currie Cup winner not in the squad is Kwagga Smith, who is on Sevens duty at the moment.
Pumas fullback JW Bell is the only new face who hasn’t donned the Lions jersey yet.
LIONS SQUAD :
Andries Coetzee, JW Bell, Ruan Combrink, Lloyd Greeff, Courtnall Skosan, Sampie Mastriet, Anthony Volmink, Koch Marx, Selom Gavor, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Stokkies Hanekom, Howard Mnisi, Harold Vorster, Lionel Mapoe, Jacques Nel, Gerdus van der Walt, Marnitz Boshoff, Jako van der Walt, Elton Jantjes, Ashlon Davids, Ross Cronjé, Faf de Klerk, Ricky Schroeder, Dillon Smit, Marco van Vuren, Warren Whiteley, Fabian Booysen, Ruaan Lerm, Jano Venter, Steph de Wit, Jaco Kriel, Derick Minnie, Warrick Tecklenburg, Ruan Ackermann , Cyle Brink, Victor Sekekete, Robert Kruger, Lourens Erasmus, MB Lusaseni, Franco Mostert, Martin Muller, JP du Preez, Andries Ferreira, Bobby de Wee, Robbie Coetzee, Malcolm Marx, Akker van der Merwe, Ramone Samuels, Jacques van Rooyen, Dylan Smith, Corné Fourie, Julian Redelinghuys, Ruan Dreyer, Justin Ackerman, Pieter Scholtz.
