List of Lions (United Rugby Championship) players

Last updated September 08, 2025

This is a list of rugby union footballers who have played for the Lions in Super Rugby, the Pro14 and United Rugby Championship competitions, and the EPCR Challenge Cup.^[1]^[2] The list includes any player that has played in a regular season match, semi-final or final for the Lions, ordered by debut date and name. The Lions competed in Super Rugby in 1996 as Transvaal, in 1997 as the Gauteng Lions, as the Cats between 1999 and 2006 and as the Lions between 2007 and 2012 and from 2014 to 2020, competed in the Pro14 Rainbow Cup in 2021, the United Rugby Championship from 2021 and in the EPCR Challenge Cup since 2022.^[3]

Super Rugby players (2014–2020)

No.	Name	Caps	Tries	C	P	DG	Points	Debut	Last
1	Marnitz Boshoff	29	1	25	52	8	235	15/02/2014	28/05/2016
2	Chrysander Botha	9						15/02/2014	31/05/2014
3	Robbie Coetzee	47	5				25	15/02/2014	26/04/2019
4	Ruan Combrinck	63	24	10	3		150	15/02/2014	26/04/2019
5	Faf de Klerk	65	14	1			72	15/02/2014	05/08/2017
6	Jaco Kriel	64	19				95	15/02/2014	17/10/2020
7	Lionel Mapoe	85	28				140	15/02/2014	15/06/2019
8	Derick Minnie	19						15/02/2014	11/04/2015
9	Franco Mostert	83	4				20	15/02/2014	04/08/2018
10	Julian Redelinghuys	45	1				5	15/02/2014	06/08/2016
11	Franco van der Merwe	8						15/02/2014	12/07/2014
12	Schalk van der Merwe	25	1				5	15/02/2014	06/06/2015
13	Deon van Rensburg	13	1				5	15/02/2014	04/07/2014
14	Stefan Watermeyer	13	2				10	15/02/2014	24/05/2014
15	Warren Whiteley	71	12				60	15/02/2014	11/05/2019
16	Willie Wepener	8	1				5	15/02/2014	12/04/2014
17	Alwyn Hollenbach	11	1				5	15/02/2014	06/06/2015
18	Jacques van Rooyen	66	5				25	15/02/2014	04/08/2018
19	Ross Cronjé	85	7				35	15/02/2014	07/11/2020
20	Warwick Tecklenburg	45	6				30	15/02/2014	06/08/2016
21	Willie Britz	13						15/02/2014	12/07/2014
22	Ruan Dreyer	76	3				15	15/02/2014	07/11/2020
23	JW Jonker	11						22/02/2014	24/05/2014
24	MB Lusaseni	14						22/02/2014	16/05/2015
25	Coenie van Wyk	8	1				5	22/02/2014	04/07/2014
26	Courtnall Skosan	79	38				190	01/03/2014	07/11/2020
27	Elton Jantjies	104	14	249	124	5	955	08/03/2014	07/11/2020
28	Corné Fourie	64	5				25	08/03/2014	04/08/2018
29	Mark Pretorius	2						22/03/2014	02/05/2015
30	Stephan de Wit	4						22/03/2014	30/07/2016
31	Andries Coetzee	86	13	6	1	2	86	05/04/2014	14/03/2020
32	Martin Muller	16						05/04/2014	16/07/2016
33	Malcolm Marx	68	30				150	05/04/2014	15/06/2019
34	Anthony Volmink	14	4				20	19/04/2014	28/05/2017
35	Rudi Mathee	5						19/04/2014	31/05/2014
36	Akker van der Merwe	50	8				40	03/05/2014	05/08/2017
37	Stokkies Hanekom	6						31/05/2014	16/07/2016
38	Charles Marais	1						31/05/2014	31/05/2014
39	Howard Mnisi	42	2				10	13/02/2015	04/08/2018
40	Robert Kruger	25						13/02/2015	02/03/2019
41	JP du Preez	1						21/02/2015	21/02/2015
42	Harold Vorster	59	11				55	21/02/2015	08/06/2019
43	Ruaan Lerm	3						21/02/2015	16/07/2016
44	Sampie Mastriet	5						28/02/2015	27/03/2015
45	Jaco van der Walt	22		4	1		11	28/02/2015	18/03/2017
46	Andries Ferreira	46	2				10	14/03/2015	12/05/2018
47	Mark Richards	1						11/04/2015	11/04/2015
48	Lohan Jacobs	1						11/04/2015	11/04/2015
49	Kwagga Smith	50	21				105	23/05/2015	08/06/2019
50	Dillon Smit	27						30/05/2015	09/10/2020
51	Dylan Smith	55	2				10	27/02/2016	17/10/2020
52	Ruan Ackermann	34	6				30	27/02/2016	05/08/2017
53	Rohan Janse van Rensburg	39	19				95	27/02/2016	26/05/2018
54	Fabian Booysen	2						05/03/2016	16/07/2016
55	Jacques Nel	11						12/03/2016	01/07/2017
56	Cyle Brink	45	5				25	19/03/2016	15/06/2019
57	Lourens Erasmus	45	4				20	19/03/2016	04/08/2018
58	JW Bell	2						23/04/2016	30/04/2016
59	Ramone Samuels	3						23/04/2016	16/07/2016
60	Pieter Scholtz	2						30/04/2016	16/07/2016
61	Sylvian Mahuza	37	13				65	14/05/2016	26/04/2019
62	Koch Marx	1						16/07/2016	16/07/2016
63	Ashlon Davids	3						16/07/2016	05/05/2018
64	Clinton Theron	1						16/07/2016	16/07/2016
65	Johannes Jonker	37						25/02/2017	15/06/2019
66	Marvin Orie	43	3				15	11/03/2017	07/11/2020
67	Shaun Reynolds	16	2	7	3		33	11/03/2017	14/03/2020
68	Madosh Tambwe	12	9				45	18/03/2017	26/05/2018
69	Sti Sithole	24	1				5	25/03/2017	07/11/2020
70	Hencus van Wyk	3						25/03/2017	06/05/2017
71	Aphiwe Dyantyi	29	13				65	17/02/2018	15/06/2019
72	Hacjivah Dayimani	31	3				15	17/02/2018	17/10/2020
73	Jacobie Adriaanse	13						17/02/2018	05/04/2019
74	Marnus Schoeman	40	14				70	17/02/2018	07/11/2020
75	Marco Jansen van Vuren	4						24/02/2018	07/04/2018
76	Len Massyn	13						17/03/2018	07/11/2020
77	Nic Groom	21	3				15	20/04/2018	08/06/2019
78	Rhyno Herbst	9	1				5	16/02/2019	15/06/2019
79	Carlü Sadie	26	2				10	16/02/2019	07/11/2020
80	Wandisile Simelane	10	3				15	16/02/2019	07/11/2020
81	Ruan Vermaak	8						16/02/2019	14/03/2020
82	Frans van Wyk	8						16/02/2019	14/03/2020
83	Pieter Jansen	10						16/02/2019	14/03/2020
84	Stephan Lewies	13	1				5	23/02/2019	01/06/2019
85	Gianni Lombard	10			1		3	23/02/2019	07/11/2020
86	Franco Naudé	6						02/03/2019	26/04/2019
87	Vincent Tshituka	17						02/03/2019	07/11/2020
88	James Venter	2						09/03/2019	23/03/2019
89	Nathan McBeth	8						09/03/2019	07/11/2020
90	Tyrone Green	15	2				10	16/03/2019	14/03/2020
91	Jan-Henning Campher	16						16/03/2019	17/10/2020
92	Wilhelm van der Sluys	13						05/04/2019	17/10/2020
93	Reinhard Nothnagel	6	1				5	25/05/2019	07/11/2020
94	Jannie du Plessis	5						02/02/2020	30/10/2020
95	Dan Kriel	10	3				15	02/02/2020	07/11/2020
96	Duncan Matthews	2						02/02/2020	08/02/2020
97	Ruben Schoeman	8						02/02/2020	07/11/2020
98	Tiaan Swanepoel	3						02/02/2020	07/11/2020
99	André Warner	4	1				5	02/02/2020	14/03/2020
100	Mannie Rass	5						02/02/2020	14/03/2020
101	Morné van den Berg	10	1				5	02/02/2020	07/11/2020
102	Willem Alberts	5						15/02/2020	09/10/2020
103	Jamba Ulengo	5	2				10	28/02/2020	17/10/2020
104	Rabz Maxwane	2	1				5	09/10/2020	17/10/2020
105	Burger Odendaal	4	1				5	09/10/2020	07/11/2020
106	EW Viljoen	2						09/10/2020	17/10/2020
107	Jaco Visagie	4	1				5	09/10/2020	07/11/2020
108	Wiehahn Herbst	2						09/10/2020	17/10/2020
109	MJ Pelser	4	1				5	09/10/2020	07/11/2020
110	Stean Pienaar	2	1				5	30/10/2020	07/11/2020
111	PJ Botha	2						30/10/2020	07/11/2020

^[a]

↑ Due to lack of archived evidence, only players who represented the Lions from the 2014 Super Rugby season to the Super Rugby Unlocked competition in 2020 are listed here.

Other Super Rugby players

The following players have represented the Lions in Super Rugby prior to 2014, however due to lack of archived evidence no confirmed number of appearances and points can be confirmed for these players. Due to the lack of archived evidence, this list is incomplete. Players listed in italics only represented the Lions in the 2013 promotion/relegation play-off, which were only recorded as appearances by the SARU.

Pro14/United Rugby Championship players

No.	Name	Caps	Tries	C	P	DG	Points	Debut	Last
1	PJ Botha	73	9				45	01/05/2021	11/05/2025
2	Jannie du Plessis	5						01/05/2021	09/04/2022
3	Francke Horn	64	23				115	01/05/2021	19/04/2025
4	Dan Kriel	3						01/05/2021	05/06/2021
5	MJ Pelser	5	2				10	01/05/2021	05/06/2021
6	Stean Pienaar	16	2				10	01/05/2021	23/03/2024
7	Ruben Schoeman	55	6				30	01/05/2021	26/04/2025
8	Wandisile Simelane	20	3				15	01/05/2021	30/04/2022
9	Sti Sithole	30						01/05/2021	23/12/2022
10	Courtnall Skosan	5						01/05/2021	05/06/2021
11	Tiaan Swanepoel	13		4	3		17	01/05/2021	21/05/2022
12	Vincent Tshituka	19	4				20	01/05/2021	21/05/2022
13	Wilhelm van der Sluys	2						01/05/2021	15/10/2021
14	André Warner	25	6				30	01/05/2021	28/01/2023
15	Fred Zeilinga	9	1	9	9		50	01/05/2021	29/01/2022
16	EW Viljoen	13	1	1	4		19	01/05/2021	12/02/2022
17	Carlü Sadie	20						01/05/2021	30/04/2022
18	Hacjivah Dayimani	1						01/05/2021	01/05/2021
19	Reinhard Nothnagel	45						01/05/2021	30/11/2024
20	Morné Brandon	11						01/05/2021	17/05/2025
21	Nathan McBeth	2						01/05/2021	08/05/2021
22	Emmanuel Tshituka	49	10				50	01/05/2021	01/06/2024
23	Morné van den Berg	67	14	1			72	01/05/2021	26/04/2025
24	Rabz Maxwane	34	14				70	08/05/2021	21/12/2024
25	Jaco Visagie	55	3				15	08/05/2021	17/05/2025
26	Burger Odendaal	18	2				10	08/05/2021	30/04/2022
27	Asenathi Ntlabakanye	56	3				15	08/05/2021	17/05/2025
28	Len Massyn	3						08/05/2021	05/06/2021
29	Jordan Hendrikse	45	3	70	46	1	296	08/05/2021	01/06/2024
30	Willem Alberts	29		1			2	15/05/2021	01/06/2024
31	Ruan Dreyer	42	1				5	15/05/2021	01/06/2024
32	Mannie Rass	31	2				10	22/05/2021	29/03/2025
33	Pieter Jansen van Vuren	14						24/09/2021	28/01/2023
34	Jaco Kriel	17	4				20	24/09/2021	22/04/2023
35	Jamba Ulengo	2	1				5	24/09/2021	01/10/2021
36	Sibusiso Sangweni	27						24/09/2021	20/04/2024
37	Eddie Fouché	2						24/09/2021	01/10/2021
38	Divan Rossouw	4						01/10/2021	05/02/2022
39	Ruhan Straeuli	15	1				5	09/10/2021	25/02/2023
40	Morgan Naudé	31	1				5	09/10/2021	11/05/2025
41	Edwill van der Merwe	65	29				145	04/12/2021	17/05/2025
42	Matt More	3						04/12/2021	21/05/2022
43	Ruan Venter	47	5				25	29/01/2022	17/05/2025
44	PJ Steenkamp	2						05/02/2022	25/02/2022
45	Quan Horn	60	13				65	05/02/2022	17/05/2025
46	JP Smith	41	1				5	12/02/2022	01/06/2024
47	Lunga Ncube	1						25/02/2022	25/02/2022
48	Nico Steyn	17	1	2	2		15	25/02/2022	17/05/2025
49	Henco van Wyk	36	16				80	02/04/2022	17/05/2025
50	Jarod Cairns	19	2				10	21/05/2022	17/05/2025
51	Andries Coetzee	14	3				15	17/09/2022	05/11/2023
52	Marius Louw	49	11				55	17/09/2022	17/05/2025
53	Ruan Smith	15						17/09/2022	06/01/2024
54	Zander du Plessis	6						17/09/2022	04/12/2022
55	Sanele Nohamba	41	7	48	25	1	212	17/09/2022	21/12/2024
56	Gianni Lombard	27	2	26	14		104	17/09/2022	29/03/2025
57	Sango Xamlashe	2						24/09/2022	04/12/2022
58	Darrien Landsberg	26						04/12/2022	11/05/2025
59	Rynhardt Jonker	18	1				5	23/12/2022	11/05/2025
60	Emile van Heerden	1						06/01/2023	06/01/2023
61	Michael van Vuuren	3						06/01/2023	18/02/2023
62	Ruan Delport	30						18/02/2023	17/05/2025
63	Rhynardt Rijnsburger	5	1				5	25/02/2023	22/04/2023
64	Travis Gordon	2						25/03/2023	15/04/2023
65	Corné Fourie	8						21/10/2023	02/03/2024
66	Richard Kriel	29	8				40	21/10/2023	17/05/2025
67	Hanru Sirgel	14	3				15	28/10/2023	18/05/2024
68	JC Pretorius	41	6				30	05/11/2023	17/05/2025
69	Izan Esterhuizen	8						27/01/2024	17/05/2025
70	Etienne Oosthuizen	8	1				5	17/02/2024	22/02/2025
71	Conraad van Vuuren	12	1				5	17/02/2024	08/03/2025
72	Erich Cronjé	16	2				10	17/02/2024	21/12/2024
73	Tapiwa Mafura	6	1				5	28/09/2024	19/04/2025
74	Kade Wolhuter	7	1	11	10		57	28/09/2024	11/05/2025
75	Franco Marais	9	3				15	28/09/2024	29/03/2025
76	Juan Schoeman	16						28/09/2024	17/05/2025
77	Sibabalo Qoma	8						28/09/2024	11/05/2025
78	Renzo du Plessis	10	1				5	28/09/2024	17/05/2025
79	Heiko Pohlmann	4						05/10/2024	26/10/2024
80	RF Schoeman	12						19/10/2024	17/05/2025
81	WJ Steenkamp	5						30/11/2024	17/05/2025
82	Sam Francis	2			4		12	21/12/2024	25/01/2025
83	Raynard Roets	2						21/12/2024	25/01/2025
84	SJ Kotze	9						25/01/2025	17/05/2025
85	Layton Horn	2						29/03/2025	17/05/2025
86	Kelly Mpeku	3						19/04/2025	17/05/2025
87	Bronson Mills	3						26/04/2025	17/05/2025
88	Lubabalo Dobela	3	1	4			13	26/04/2025	17/05/2025

European Rugby Champions Cup/Challenge Cup players

No.	Name	Caps	Tries	C	P	Points	Debut	Last
1	PJ Botha	9	2			10	10/12/2022	18/01/2025
2	Andries Coetzee	9	1		1	8	10/12/2022	06/04/2024
3	Ruan Dreyer	5					10/12/2022	06/04/2024
4	Zander du Plessis	3					10/12/2022	06/04/2024
5	Jaco Kriel	5					10/12/2022	08/04/2023
6	Darrien Landsberg	12					10/12/2022	04/04/2025
7	Gianni Lombard	10	3	7	1	32	10/12/2022	04/04/2025
8	Rabz Maxwane	8	2			10	10/12/2022	14/12/2024
9	Reinhard Nothnagel	5					10/12/2022	14/12/2024
10	Ruben Schoeman	6	1			5	10/12/2022	04/04/2025
11	Sti Sithole	2					10/12/2022	16/12/2022
12	Emmanuel Tshituka	8	3			15	10/12/2022	06/04/2024
13	Edwill van der Merwe	11	5			25	10/12/2022	04/04/2025
14	André Warner	4					10/12/2022	22/01/2023
15	Sango Xamlashe	1					10/12/2022	10/12/2022
16	Asenathi Ntlabakanye	12	1			5	10/12/2022	04/04/2025
17	Jordan Hendrikse	7	1	8	17	72	10/12/2022	06/04/2024
18	JP Smith	8	1			5	10/12/2022	21/01/2024
19	Ruan Venter	7	4			20	10/12/2022	04/04/2025
20	Sanele Nohamba	8	2	13	3	45	10/12/2022	11/01/2025
21	Jaco Visagie	12	3			15	10/12/2022	04/04/2025
22	Rynhardt Jonker	11					10/12/2022	04/04/2025
23	Sibusiso Sangweni	2					10/12/2022	16/12/2022
24	Willem Alberts	7					16/12/2022	06/04/2024
25	Quan Horn	10	4			20	16/12/2022	04/04/2025
26	Pieter Jansen van Vuren	2					16/12/2022	22/01/2023
27	Marius Louw	11	5			25	16/12/2022	04/04/2025
28	Henco van Wyk	5					16/12/2022	18/01/2025
29	Ruan Smith	7	1			5	16/12/2022	06/04/2024
30	Michael van Vuuren	3					16/12/2022	22/01/2023
31	Morné van den Berg	10	2			10	14/01/2023	04/04/2025
32	Emile van Heerden	2					14/01/2023	22/01/2023
33	Rhynardt Rijnsburger	3					14/01/2023	08/04/2023
34	Ruhan Straeuli	5					14/01/2023	11/01/2025
35	JC Pretorius	12	1			5	14/01/2023	04/04/2025
36	Morgan Naudé	8					22/01/2023	11/01/2025
37	Francke Horn	9	3			15	01/04/2023	04/04/2025
38	Mannie Rass	6	1			5	01/04/2023	04/04/2025
39	Morné Brandon	5	1			5	01/04/2023	06/04/2024
40	Travis Gordon	3					01/04/2023	10/12/2023
41	Ruan Delport	6					08/04/2023	18/01/2025
42	Erich Cronjé	7	1			5	10/12/2023	11/01/2025
43	Corné Fourie	2					10/12/2023	13/01/2024
44	Boldwin Hansen	2					10/12/2023	13/01/2024
45	Etienne Oosthuizen	5					10/12/2023	18/01/2025
46	Raynard Roets	3					10/12/2023	13/01/2024
47	Hanru Sirgel	4					10/12/2023	06/04/2024
48	Nico Steyn	8		1		2	10/12/2023	04/04/2025
49	Conraad van Vuuren	5					10/12/2023	11/01/2025
50	Izan Esterhuizen	7					10/12/2023	04/04/2025
51	Johan Mulder	2					10/12/2023	13/01/2024
52	Richard Kriel	4					15/12/2023	04/04/2025
53	Stean Pienaar	2					13/01/2024	06/04/2024
54	Kade Wolhuter	2		1	4	11	21/01/2024	14/12/2024
55	Sam Francis	4	1	5	1	18	08/12/2024	18/01/2025
56	Tapiwa Mafura	3	1			5	08/12/2024	18/01/2025
57	Franco Marais	2	1			5	08/12/2024	04/04/2025
58	WJ Steenkamp	3					08/12/2024	11/01/2025
59	SJ Kotze	4					08/12/2024	04/04/2025
60	RF Schoeman	4					08/12/2024	04/04/2025
61	Renzo du Plessis	1					08/12/2024	08/12/2024
62	Jarod Cairns	3					14/12/2024	04/04/2025
63	Juan Schoeman	4	1			5	14/12/2024	04/04/2025
64	Kelly Mpeku	1					11/01/2025	11/01/2025
65	Sibabalo Qoma	1					04/04/2025	04/04/2025

References

↑ "Lions rugby team page". all.rugby. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
↑ "Emirates Lions". SANZAAR. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
↑ "SARU members vote to seek northern hemisphere future". SA Rugby. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[4] Due to lack of archived evidence, only players who represented the Lions from the 2014 Super Rugby season to the Super Rugby Unlocked competition in 2020 are listed here.

[1] "Lions rugby team page". all.rugby. Retrieved 2025-03-03.

[2] "Emirates Lions". SANZAAR. Retrieved 3 March 2025.

[3] "SARU members vote to seek northern hemisphere future". SA Rugby. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[a]