Lions finally manage to snag two new coaches

NEWS: The Lions have nabbed a Bull after being on the hunt for months to fill their coaching positions with the announcement that one of the most prolific kickers in South African rugby will join them as kicking consultant.

Morné Steyn will look after the Lions’ kickers for the 2023/24 United Rugby Championship and EPCR Challenge Cup season.

It is also rumoured that Barend Pieterse has come on board as forwards coach to fill the void that Albert van den Berg left and will join the Lions after the World Cup. He is currently assisting Namibia.

Van den Berg left the troubled franchise and joined the Scarlets as forwards coach stating differences of opinion around the improvements that caused problems for him.

The 49-year-old Van den Berg was left disillusioned after launching legal action against fellow colleague Chris Venter, who allegedly accessed private messages on his laptop.

In May this year it was rumoured that three forwards coaches, Matthew Proudfoot, Warren Whiteley and Wessel Roux were on the Lions shortlist.

Proudfoot has since joined Namibia as part of their World Cup coaching staff.

The Lions were also apparently after the services of Andries Bekker but the Bulls landed his signature to join their coaching structures.

Steyn comes with a proper pedigree but it will be a foreign sight seeing the former Bulls flyhalf in the red gear of the Lions having played against them for his whole career.

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Steyn bid the game farewell in June when the Bulls hosted the Cheetahs in the final league round of the Currie Cup.

His career playing started at the Bulls when he was just 19 years old, in 2003. He would stay with the Pretoria franchise for 10 years, joining the Super Rugby competition in 2005.

During his time at the Bulls, Morne Steyn would accumulate a fine selection of accolades and records.

In first class rugby he has played in 153 games for the Bulls, another 75 for the Blue Bulls and a massive 135 for Stade Francais.

Besides the personal records at the Bulls, he bagged two Currie Cup trophies, three Super Rugby titles, one French Top 14 title, and a Tri-Nations (now The Rugby Championship) win.

Speaking on his appointment, Steyn expressed his eagerness to join the franchise and to get going.

"I’m incredibly excited to get stuck in with the Emirates Lions."

"They are a team with exciting talent and astute professionalism both from a players and coaching perspective, with the potential of achieving great things in the future."

"I’m particularly looking forward to working closely with the kickers in the squad, and my aim is to make a difference to the team’s kicking strategy. The Lions are extremely fortunate to have great ball strikers; guys like Jordan, Quan, and Sanele are all brilliant kickers, so I’m excited to work with them closely."

With the upcoming Vodacom United Rugby Championship just under two months away, Lions boss Rudolf Straeuli says the franchise is delighted to have secured the services of the former Bok.

"There’s no doubt that Morne was one of the best kickers in world rugby and to have him share his knowledge and experience with our group is huge for us.

"Tactical and goal-kicking forms a major part of competitive rugby, especially in Europe where conditions are often testing and rely heavily on out-of-hand kicking.

"To have the caliber of Morne advise and guide our kickers will no doubt influence and enhance our game strategy,” concluded Straeuli.

Pieterse started his junior playing career at the Lions in 2000 and represented them until 2004 at senior level before moving to the Cheetahs. He has one Test under his belt (2007).

The former Griquas and Eastern Province Kings assistant coach has held various assistant coaching roles both locally and internationally since the end of his playing days.