As the Lions gear up for a grueling season ahead, head coach Ivan van Rooyen has dropped hints that the Johannesburg squad's lineup might soon be bolstered with additional firepower. With a demanding schedule that includes both the Vodacom URC and Champions Cup play, van Rooyen acknowledges the necessity for more depth.
The Lions have already made significant strides in strengthening their team by securing Springbok talents like prop Boan Venter and lock Hyron Andrews, alongside extending contracts of several key players. But the appetite for enhancement hasn't been satiated yet—not by a long shot.
"We’ll probably announce a few more names soon," van Rooyen revealed. "There are a few positions we felt we needed to strengthen a little bit. Probably among the outside backs and tight five and, along with Boan, a few more names. Certainly enough to get excited about."
Beyond recruiting seasoned players, van Rooyen is also casting an enthusiastic eye towards the Lions' youth ranks, confident in the emerging talent. The coach, who was recently crowned URC's Coach of the Season, is particularly excited about prospects like Siba Mahashe, Batho Hlekani, and Haashim Pead, who have shown impressive growth in the past months.
"From our system, I think people are getting excited about someone like Siba Mahashe, along with Batho [Hlekani] and Haashim Pead, who over the last six months really came through well," he noted. "I think we’ll have another three to five guys who over the next six to eight months can also raise their hands from within the system, and we’re obviously also very excited about that."
With these strategic moves, both in terms of securing established players and nurturing homegrown talent, the Lions are clearly setting the stage for a robust season ahead. Their participation in two high-profile tournaments not only elevates the team's status but also ramps up the excitement and expectations among their fans and supporters.