Is a coaching shake-up on the cards at the Lions?
The Lions are believed to be considering their options after a poor 2024/25 URC season ended with them well off the playoff places.
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen with his assistants Jaque Fourie and Barend Pieterse during a training session earlier in the season. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
It seems that the winds of change are on the horizon for the Lions, but the question has to be asked if it will bring something different or more of the same going forward?
Reports have indicated that the Lions' upper management held discussions over the past weekend, looking into their performance over the 2024/25 United Rugby Championship (URC) season, that saw the team finish 11th on the log, well off the playoff places.
This was a far cry from head coach Ivan van Rooyen's bold claim before the season started that they were targeting a top four place in the competition.
Instead, the Lions went on to miss out on the competition quarter-finals for the fourth straight campaign, while producing their worst points tally in the URC to date.
In their debut season back in 2021/22, the Lions finished 12th on the log, but picked up 41 points over that campaign, while this season saw them finish 11th but with 40 points. Sandwiched between that are two ninth placed finishes, in 2022/23 with 45 points, and in 2023/24 with 50 points.
Last season it seemed like the Lions had turned the corner, with them missing out on the knockouts by the smallest of margins, finishing level on points with Ospreys, but losing out on eighth spot to the Welsh side due to them having won a game more.
Backwards step
But they followed that up by taking a big backwards step over the current campaign, which has led to the speculation about the future of the current coaching group, led by Van Rooyen, which has been in charge over all four seasons of the URC.
Sunday publication Rapport has speculated that Van Rooyen could shift into a Director of Rugby role, with junior coach Mzwakhe Nkosi making the step up into the head coaching role of the Lions.
Nkosi has coached the Lions Currie Cup team over the past few years in tough conditions, and led them to the final last year, which they lost at the death to the Sharks.
Scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys has also been mentioned as a possible head coach option, which would be a massive step up for him.
Reports have stated that a decision on the coaching team and Van Rooyen's future could be imminent and announced as early as this week.
Attempts to get clarity on the situation and a statement from the Lions' leadership were met with a 'no comment on the current speculation and reports in the media.'
Besides Van Rooyen and Redelinghuys, the senior Lions coaching team consists of Jaque Fourie, Barend Pieterse and Ricardo Loubscher.
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