Match News, Press Release, Team News, United Rugby Championship
3rd Jan 2023
Emirates Lions Head Coach Ivan van Rooyen has named a 29-man touring squad for his team’s upcoming fixtures in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and EPCR Challenge Cup.
Emirates Lions Head Coach Ivan van Rooyen has named a 29-man touring squad for his team’s upcoming fixtures in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and EPCR Challenge Cup.
The Joburg team face Muster on Friday, 6 January in the VURC, followed by return legs against Stade Francais and Dragons RFC in consecutive weeks in the EPCR Challenge Cup competition. The 4-week tour wraps up with a clash against Irish outfit Connacht at the Sportsground in Galway on 28 January in the VURC
Head Coach Ivan van Rooyen:
“There’s still a tremendous amount of belief within the squad in terms of where we are currently in the process. We know we need to be more consistent on attack and defense especially. We are under no illusion that it’s going be a tough tour.”
“We like touring, says van Rooyen. We spend a lot of time together in Johannesburg, but time together on tour is just different. Going away together for four weeks on tour is a great opportunity for us to pull together, get consistency in our preparations and roll with the punches,” he concluded.
Emirates Lions 29-man Touring Squad
Forwards
Ruan Smith
JP Smith
Asenathi Ntlabakanye
Morgan Naude
PJ Botha
Michael van Vuuren
Rhynardt Reijnsburger
Willem Alberts
Emmanuel Tshituka
Emile van Heerden
Darrian Landsberg
Ruan Venter
Jarod Cairns
Sibusiso Sangweni
Jaco Kriel
Ruhan Straeuli
JC Pretorius
Backs
Morne van den Berg
Andre Warner
Jordan Hendrikse
Gianni Lombard
Marius Louw
Manuel Rass
Henco van Wyk
Rhynhardt Jonker
Edwill van der Merwe
Stean Pienaar
Quan Horn
Andries Coetzee
Players not considered due to injury:
Sti Sithole, Ruan Dreyer, Reinhard Nothnagel, Francke Horn, Sanele Nohamba and Rabz Maxwane.
Head Coach: Ivan van Rooyen