There will be some international flavour to the Lions when they start their Super 14 campaign.
Hennie Brandt for SuperRugby writes that Willie Rickards, a 1.87m and 101kg New Zealand wing, has signed a contract to play Super 14 and Currie Cup rugby for the Lions until the end of the 2009 season.
Rickards, who has also played at centre for Southland, was invited to the New Zealand sevens trials earlier this year, says Wimpie Vermeulen, backline coach of the Lions.
Todd Clever, one of the best players in the United States team at the 2007 World Cup tournament, also signed a contract with the Golden Lions Rugby Union recently. He is a loose forward.
Griquas hooker Hans van Dyk and Falcons centre Ruan Cloete have signed to play for the Lions until the end of 2010.
The Lions were in a predicament this season when Jano Vermaak was suspended and inside centre Doppies la Grange had to stand in as deputy scrumhalf for Chris Jonck.
It is unlikely to happen again. Manie Reynecke, chief executive of the union, has succeeded in bringing promising Western Province scrumhalf Alastair Siegelaar to Johannesburg.
Siegelaar, who has played Under-21, Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup rugby for WP, will also be available until at least the end of 2010.
Reynecke has also made an end to rumours that Springbok threequarter Jaque Fourie is looking for greener pastures.
Fourie has also been contracted until the end of 2010, as have La Grange, loosehead prop Heinke van der Merwe, No 8 Willem Alberts and versatile back Louis Ludik.
October 15th, 2008 at 8:59 am
It’s about time that the Lions shake that cheque book! We were in desperate need for a decent 10, and a winger who can finish is also not too bad!
October 15th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Good on them, hope they do well next year. Might need a 10 too, as Kietie rightly states, might want to look at locks & a TH too.
Can see that they might get in trouble for not complying though – Ludik, Killian and now Rickards on wing/FB. Siegelaar, Rose and possibly Sephaka
Is that really all?
October 15th, 2008 at 10:00 am
There’s apparently one more – Sharks flank Thilipatu Marole. But with Baywatch, Ernst, Willem Alberts, Clever, Derick Minnie, Franco van Zyl and RW Kember (Leopards) will he get any game time?
Marole and Divan Kotze (Bulls, centre/FH) were apparently also signed. Both are u/20 palyers.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Reply to Namboer @ 10:00 am:
Apparently they signed a 10 from Blue Bulls U/21, With Andre being fit again next year (apparently they found the cause of his continual struggle) they might bleed him in slowly. I don’t understand why the other Rose has not made his debut yet. The oke is better than his brother, IMO…
October 15th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Shit man, I hoped the bulls could get Fourie.
What about Marius Joubert?
Todd Clever played a couple of good games for the eagles in the wc, I think he has blonde hair, big lad aswell.
October 16th, 2008 at 3:38 am
Todd Clever was the guy that made the intercept and the big hand-off on Butch James, leading to Ngwenja’s try. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the S14.