Lions name 2016 Super Rugby squad

Johannesburg Super Rugby franchise the Lions have named their Super Rugby squad for the 2016 season and have included nearly all of the Lions Currie Cup stars.

Currie Cup champions the Lions will have all of their Currie Cup squad available for Super Rugby with the exception of Kwagga Smith, who is contracted for National Sevens duty.

The Lions have also been bolstered by the signing of other players for the Super Rugby season.

Flanker Derick Minnie returns after a long injury lay-off and winger Ruan Combrink and centre Harold Vorster have also been added to the Super group after missing some Currie Cup action due to injury.

Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies, centre Lionel Mapoe and hooker Akker van der Merwe, with Tecklenburg, returns from overseas duty.

The new squad members are former Pumas scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, Leopards number nine Dillon Smit, Leopards lock Robert Kruger and Pumas prop Corne Fourie, who are all full-blooded Lions now.

Pumas fullback JW Bell is the only new face who hasn’t donned the Lions jersey yet.

Lions Super Rugby 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 Cronje, 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, Corne Fourie, Julian Redelinghuys, Ruan Dreyer, Justin Ackerman, Pieter Scholtz.