2009 lions tour to south africa

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2009 South Africa

• Updated: 6th June 2012

The 2009 tour started out with fairly low expectations. The Lions were heading down to South Africa, home of the World Champions. Given the previous performance of the Lions against New Zealand which resulted in a comfortable “black wash” by the All Blacks, expectations of the Boks were such that the result in local eyes was already considered a foregone conclusion. Most of the Lions fans were reluctantly in agreement, even if they did not voice their concerns publicly.

The opening weekend of the tour saw the Lions take on a Royal XV in Rustenburg in a near empty stadium where the Lions stuttered to a fractured opening win. The poor crowd figures were blamed on the Super 14 final featuring the Bulls up the road in Pretoria. However the poor attendance continued throughout the tour at all grounds (including the Tests) due to exorbitant ticket charges levied. The only match even approaching a sell out was the second Test.

The signs over in Pretoria that opening weekend were ominous to say the least. The Bulls, containing pretty much half of the Springbok side, tore into the Chiefs and produced the most one sided final of a major rugby competition I have ever seen! The Chiefs were certainly the second best team in the whole competition, but they were no match for the Bulls, and half of that team would be playing for the Boks a few weeks later. Gulp!

The tour ploughed on with convincing and shaky victories for the Lions in equal measure. Performances by what was largely the core of the test side were good, with the games against the Golden Lions and Sharks standing out as particularly impressive wins. It was obvious that key partnerships were being formed that would be carried into the tests.

In particular, centres Jamie Roberts and Brian O’Driscoll together with the back three of Lee Byrne, Tommy Bowe and Ugo Monye were impressive. Up front, potential test combinations were forming in the back row with Stephen Ferris, David Wallace, Tom Croft and Jamie Heaslip all looking like potential test starters.

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When not writing articles about the latest issues surrounding the game, Ben spends his time worrying about the fortunes of his beloved Saracens. Ben is responsible for overseeing all output from the L-T.com team and often can't help himself from adding his own take on the issues of the day and has to pen his own article to stick his two-penneth in. Ben also runs our travel section and is a font of all knowledge about the tours having travelled as a tourist on all three tours. He can tell you everything you need to know about touring with the British & Irish Lions from how to get there and where to stay, to where you can hang around to spot the players and where you can get the best steaks in town...! Email Ben - [email protected]

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British and Irish Lions Classics - the 2009 tour to South Africa

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Living With The Pride: British & Irish Lions 2009 tour documentary forgotten moments

Sky Sports is showing all of the documentaries covering the British & Irish Lions tours from 1997 to 2017. This week, we take a closer look at the 2009 documentary covering the tour to South Africa

By Sky Sports Rugby Union

Thursday 28 January 2021 06:00, UK

The British & Irish Lions returned to South Africa in 2009 seeking to restore their reputation following the whitewash against New Zealand four years earlier.

Ian McGeechan was back to oversee the team on this occasion, having done so 12 years earlier when the Lions scored a memorable triumph over the Springboks.

There would be no repeat this time around as the hosts took a 2-1 win in the Test series, but the tourists won acclaim in defeat, being narrowly denied a share of the spoils in the second Test by a last-second penalty and triumphing 28-9 in the third.

'Living With The Lions' forgotten moments

'Up Close And Personal' forgotten moments

'Inside the Lions Den' forgotten moments

What went on behind the scenes was captured in the documentary 'Living With The Pride' and we take a look at some of the key moments you may have forgotten…

1. O'Connell's captaincy call

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Being called up to a Lions squad is an honour reserved for a select few in its own right and being chosen as the man who will captain the team is a privilege even fewer players get to experience in their careers.

Ireland international Paul O'Connell was picked to lead the team in South Africa in 2009, although the second row revealed it took several attempts for head coach McGeechan to get hold of him to inform him of the good news.

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2. Choosing a squad

Narrowing down a longlist of contenders to the final squad for a tour is never an easy task and 'Living With The Pride' gave an insight into how the 37-man squad for the series against South Africa was selected.

Cameras were allowed into the final selection meeting as McGeechan, tour manager Gerald Davies and the rest of the coaching staff discussed the attributes they were looking for and what would be needed if the 2009 Lions were to defeat the Springboks.

3. The ultimate Lion

Who would be the person who best epitomises everything about the British & Irish Lions? Many would say Willie John McBride, while McGeechan himself would undoubtedly be in the discussion as well for his achievements with the team as a player and coach.

The former Scotland international had his own ideas about who was his ultimate Lion though, revealing who that was and explaining why as he spoke to his squad about his expectations of them while on tour.

4. Monye meets a fan

The Lions always attract plenty of interest wherever they tour and in 2009 that proved to be the case when they held an open training session shortly after arriving in South Africa.

Ugo Monye in particular had a young fan who admired him, although he was surprised when he found out how much the youngster's hoodie with Monye's name and number on it cost him.

5. The Bobby Cup

Strength and conditioning coach Paul 'Bobby' Stridgeon has become something of a cult hero to viewers of the more recent Lions documentaries and it was during the 2009 tour his unique sense of humour first came to light.

On this occasion, Stridgeon introduced the Bobby Cup, which was handed out to a man of the week from a winning team. First up to get this honour was Mike Blair, who was treated to a 'Through The Keyhole' video shown to all of his team-mates.

6. Geech's final speech

After suffering defeats in the first two Tests, particularly the agonising end to the second, the Lions arrived in Johannesburg for the final match of the series with the intention of ending on a high.

McGeechan urged his team pre-match to ensure they give everyone something positive to hold onto before the next tour to Australia commenced four years later, with the emotion of the occasion getting to the man himself.

Watch all of the documentaries covering the British & Irish Lions tours from 1997 to 2017 on Sky Sports over the coming weeks. Up next is 'Lions Raw', covering the 2013 tour of Australia, on Sky Sports Arena on Tuesday, February 2 at 10pm.

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Lions announce itinerary for 2009 tour to South Africa

The British & Irish Lions and the South African Rugby Union have agreed on a programme of 10 matches for the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa. [more]

The British & Irish Lions and the South African Rugby Union have agreed on a programme of 10 matches for the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa.

The much anticipated tour will include three Test matches against the Springboks, with the first Test taking place on Saturday, 20 June in Durban. British & Irish Lions chairman Andy Irvine said: "We are looking forward to touring such a wonderful country and playing the World champions on their own turf. "The tour itself promises be full of challenges in a country where rugby is a real passion but I am confident that the 2009 Lions will acquit themselves well. "Lions tours are unique events and as such extremely popular. We are expecting tens of thousands of Lions fans to travel to South Africa in 2009 and are certain that every one of them will come back with amazing memories." SA Rugby (Pty) Ltd MD Jonathan Stones added: "The Lions tour will be a massive sporting event, on a par with Rugby World Cup and is expected to be a huge success. We are putting in place an exciting programme and look forward to hosting this unique team. "It is anticipated that South Africa will reap significant economic benefits from this tour." The Lions will play matches in seven cities over a period of six weeks, commencing with a game against the Highveld XV in Rustenburg on Saturday, 30 May. The tour schedule includes six weekend fixtures and four midweek matches. Apart from the three Test matches, there is also an interesting fixture against the Emerging Springboks on 23 June 2009. This match is sandwiched between the first and second Tests. The Test matches against the Springboks will take place on 20 June in Durban, in Pretoria on 27 June and in Johannesburg on 4 July. "It is important to note that two high profile matches have been scheduled in Cape Town, which will allow supporters in that region to see the Lions in action at Newlands," added Stones. The Lions have toured South Africa on 12 previous occasions, with the first tour to this country taking place in 1891. That historic tour included Test matches at Port Elizabeth, Kimberley and Cape Town. Since 1891 the Lions have won 16 Tests against the Springboks and lost 21, while seven tests were drawn. British & Irish Lions Itinerary: SATURDAY 30 MAY 2009 v HIGHVELD XV, ROYAL BAFOKENG, PHOKENG, NR RUSTENBURG WEDNESDAY 3 JUNE 2009 v GOLDEN LIONS, ELLIS PARK, JOHANNESBURG SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2009 v CHEETAHS, VODACOM PARK, BLOOMFONTEIN WEDNESDAY 10 JUNE 2009 v SHARKS, ABSA PARK, DURBAN SATURDAY 13 JUNE 2009 v WESTERN PROVINCE, NEWLANDS, CAPE TOWN TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY 16/17 JUNE 2009 v COASTAL XV, VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED, PORT ELIZABETH SATURDAY 20 JUNE 2009 v 1ST TEST, ABSA PARK, DURBAN TUESDAY 23 JUNE 2009 v EMERGING SPRINGBOKS, NEWLANDS, CAPE TOWN SATURDAY 27 JUNE 2009 v 2ND TEST, LOFTUS VERSFELD, PRETORIA SATURDAY 4 JULY 2009 v 3RD TEST, ELLIS PARK, JOHANNESBURG

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British & Irish Lions rugby tour 2009

As when the Lions toured South Africa in 1997, the Springboks are world champions. Whilst the '97 Springboks lost to the Lions, the series unearthed one Percival Colin Montgomery - Percy played the first test of an illustrious career in July 1997 at outside centre. The fixtures are have a similar format to that of the Lions 2005 tour to New Zealand - 6 games before the first test, and a mid-week game between the first and second test.

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Ian McGeechan

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In review: The British and Irish Lions 2009 tour of South Africa

Read time: 4 minutes

It’s that time again. The British and Irish Lions, a squad made up of the best rugby players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, have joined forces and they have their sights firmly set on South Africa. Warren Gatland’s men beat Japan in their first warm-up match at Murrayfield (28-10) and recently opened their account in South Africa with a comfortable 56-14 win over the Sigma Lions.

With several more warm-up matches to come over the next couple of weeks, including games against the Bulls in Pretoria, South Africa A and the Stormers in Cape Town, before finally going head-to-head with the Springboks on July 24 th , July 31 st and August 7 th — matches the Lions are tipped to win, according to the Lions Tour odds 2021 — now seems like the perfect time to zone in on the last time the Lions toured South Africa, which was back in 2009.

South Africa 26-21 British & Irish Lions

Having won all of their warm-up matches, the Lions couldn’t have prepared any better for their opening tour match against South Africa at the ABSA Stadium in Durban. However, they got off to a nightmare start as John Smit gave the Springboks the lead after just five minutes. A penalty, converted by Ruan Pienaar, gave South Africa a 10-0 lead and François Steyn made it 13-0 when he slotted a penalty between the posts in the 20 th minute. The Lions finally got some points on the board when Tom Croft smashed his way over the line, but two more penalties from Pienaar meant that the Springboks went into half time with a 19-7 lead.

And, when Heinrich Brüssow scored South Africa’s second try of the game just five minutes into the second half, making it 26-7 in their favour, the game looked out of reach for the Lions. Late tries from Croft and William Phillips gave the visitors a glimmer of hope, but ultimately, their lack of discipline in the first half proved costly in the 26-21 defeat.

South Africa 28-25 British & Irish Lions

With the Lions knowing they had to get a result at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria to keep the tour alive, they came out of the blocks firing. Stephen Jones kicked a third-minute penalty and a Rob Kearney try, converted by Jones, made it 10-0 to the Lions after just seven minutes. An unconverted Jon-Paul Pietersen try clawed the Springboks back into the game, but Jones reestablished the Lions’ healthy lead with a penalty and a drop-goal. A South Africa penalty, converted by Morné Steyn, made it 16-8 at the break.

After a pointless 10 minutes of the second half, Jones’ third penalty of the match added another three points to the scoreboard, and that seemed to kick a bit of life into the last thirty minutes. Bryan Habana scored for South Africa to make it 19-15 and applied some pressure on the Lions. Steyn and Jones cancelled each other out with a penalty apiece before Jaque Fourie held off several challenges to score South Africa’s second try, which made it 25-22. Jones must have thought he’d secured a draw as his 77 th minute penalty sailed between the sticks. However, the Springboks had other ideas, and Steyn’s 81 st minute penalty, the last kick of the game, won them the test.

South Africa 9-28 British & Irish Lions

With the pressure off for the final match of the tour at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg, the Lions finally prevailed. Jones’ ninth-minute penalty was matched by the boot of Steyn three minutes later and the scores remained 3-3 until Shane Williams scored the first try of the match in the 25 th minute, and the Welshman struck again soon after, with Jones’ conversion making it 15-3. A second penalty from Steyn on the brink of half time made it 15-6.

Ugochukwu Monye scored the Lions’ third try of the game around 15 minutes in the second half, whilst Steyn converted his third penalty of the game in the 68 th minute. With just 10 minutes left on the clock and the scores poised at 22-9, the game was all but over. Just to make sure, Jones converted two further penalties to make it 28-9.

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Memories of 1974 will make the Lions tour to South Africa one to remember

Already struggling to banish the doubt that this may not be the luckiest of tours, the Lions today set off for South Africa. To lose four and a bit players - Leigh Halfpenny's delayed start providing the bit - of the party of 37 before a ball has been kicked, probably falls within rugby's norm, but for the injured Tomás O'Leary, Tom Shanklin and Jerry Flannery, and even for the suspended Alan Quinlan, the laws of averages must seem pretty cruel.

They miss the tour of a lifetime to the country that has done most to nourish the Lions as a going concern. Australia has only hosted two tours exclusive to themselves, although it must be said that both 1989, when the Lions came from one down to win the series, and the truly enthralling 2001 were special.

If New Zealand was the only destination for the Lions the whole thing would probably have long been given up. The Lions have won once there, in 1971, and generally come home completely bent out of shape. A tour to NZ is best followed in a camper van, a healthy distance behind the team bus.

South Africa is different, if only because there's no jet lag to blur the front and back of the six weeks spent there. It was here that the Lions came in 1997, on the first tour of the professional age, when the whole notion of hammering one team out of four in just a few short weeks was being seriously questioned.

Coached then, as now, by Ian McGeechan, the Lions swept the doubters aside. In fact, they made the Lions hot property. On all fronts, from re-establishing rugby credentials to developing new business opportunities, there is a cosiness to relations with South Africa.

In the old days these close ties often made real life decidedly uncomfortable. Protests against Apartheid were well organised and widespread. Overseas tours by the Springboks were successfully halted, most memorably in 1980 when flour bombs were dropped on Eden Park, Auckland, and the Test match between New Zealand and South Africa was abandoned.

What the protestors could not prevent were trips into South Africa. The Lions toured twice during the supposed age of isolation, in 1974 and 1980, winning the first time, losing the second. Any reverence for the achievement of '74, perhaps the finest Lions of all time, was always tempered by the voices that had urged them not to go in the first place.

But in "The Lions' Roar," going out tonight on BBC Wales, the tour of '74 is seen partly through the eyes of young black rugby fans who turned up to watch the Lions play. Their mood at first was hostile, for they were not just rugby players but politically active too and the position of the resistance was to keep the white-minority regime isolated. "We felt that the Lions would be walking on the graves of the many who had died in the struggle," says Ibrahim Patel.

And yet, as Willie John McBride's team went from strength to strength, standing up to the Springboks and beating them - beating them up via the "99" call that summoned the forwards to slug the nearest opposition player - the black supporters grew in numbers. There is a glorious black and white photo of JJ Williams scoring in the corner at Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth in the third Test and the black section, to a man, woman and child, rising to celebrate.

"The Lions' play taught us that if you stand together against the bully, anything is possible," says another supporter then, Bernie Habana.

A third teenager, Peter de Villiers, would be inspired, too. "I decided to come to Wales because I adored the style they were playing. I drew energy from what they did."

De Villiers is now coach of the Springboks. Habana is father of Brian, the Springbok wing, while Patel became the joint president of the new, united South Africa Rugby Union when segregation finally ended. Their embrace of the '74 Lions does not exactly legitimise a rebel tour that they at first opposed, but it takes the sting out of the sanction-busting guilt.

It also means that in the new South Africa there is no animosity towards the Lions. No bitterness, but not as much support in the grounds. The tourists will not be able to salute the section behind the wire, and will have to count on the red shirts in the stadiums for their cheers, the travelling supporters who will not be there in the numbers predicted this time last year.

Economic conditions dictate that points on the board will come before the noughts on the balance sheet. The rediscovery of the primary reason for being out there may be no bad thing. Once it was politics that overshadowed everything; nowadays they can get carried away with money-making.

Under the manager, Gerald Davies, and McGeechan, the old priorities may not be so hard to re-establish. Time may be short and injuries may be occurring, but there seems to be a relaxation about the camp. Forging a team can be done naturally.

There was always something strained about the team-building exercises in Graham Henry's Lions camp of 2001, and something manufactured about Sir Clive Woodward's efforts in 2005, although of course he had a cast of thousands to exercise. Davies and McGeechan seem happy to let their players breathe.

Quite what they will instruct them to do on match day remains to be seen. The Welsh trio of Lee Byrne, Shane Williams and Halfpenny (thigh permitting) will have licence to thrill, it has been declared in the Welsh press. The forward battle will have to won, is the more sober English assessment.

Perfect. For the moment the management can fill each listening ear with what it wants to hear and keep their real intentions to themselves. The true order is probably somewhere in the middle: "Give it width, but make sure it's under the right conditions." McGeechan will say it softly, Warren Gatland will growl it, Graham Rowntree and Rob Howley will explain it and Shaun Edwards will bellow it. It may just work.

It won't if the Springboks are good from the off. The hosts have arranged a fixture for themselves against a Namibia Invitation XV, to try to ensure that they are not rusty on 20 June in Durban. But a work-out against a selection of this and that is not the same as the first Test in a series.

The Lions must strike while the Springboks are disjointed. A victory in Durban lights up the tour; a finale in Johannesburg is guaranteed - unless he Lions win the second Test in Pretoria.

But lose the first Test and the tour turns, and could even tip over. McGeechan has come from one down before, in 1989, but to do it at altitude against the reigning world champions is something else. History tells the Lions can do well in South Africa, but the stopwatch is running and 20 June is racing towards them.

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South Africa is to shut down captive lion farms. Experts warn the plan needs a deadline

Global Head of Wildlife Research, World Animal Protection, and Visiting Researcher, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), University of Oxford

Wildlife Research Manager at World Animal Protection and Visiting Research Fellow, Manchester Metropolitan University

Wildlife Research Manager at World Animal Protection, and Visiting Research Fellow, Manchester Metropolitan University

Disclosure statement

Neil D’Cruze works for an international NGO, World Animal Protection as the Global Head of Wildlife Research.

Angie Elwin works for an international NGO, World Animal Protection as a Wildlife Research Manager.

Jennah Green works for an international NGO, World Animal Protection, as a Wildlife Research Manager.

University of Oxford and Manchester Metropolitan University provide funding as members of The Conversation UK.

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The South African government has officially confirmed that captive lion farms will be shut down. A new ministerial task team report just released has cemented the government’s intention, first made public in 2021 , to put an end to African lions being legally sold and traded live, both internationally and domestically.

It also heralds the end of “canned” trophy hunting , where lions are confined to an enclosed space and hunted down, with no chance of escape.

We are wildlife researchers who have studied lion farming in South Africa. We believe that this latest development is a significant milestone in ending this controversial industry and provides some clarity on the next steps.

However, we are concerned that the government has not yet provided any definitive deadlines for closing down the industry. The government is also suggesting that “canned” hunts will be allowed to continue during an undefined phasing out period. We outline why a deadline is urgently required.

Why lion farming is being shut down

The ministerial task team’s decision came after years of objections by conservationists and researchers about the substandard conditions and the unregulated nature of the commercial lion farming industry. Captive lions on farms often live in filthy , overcrowded enclosures and in conditions that fail to meet their basic hygiene, diet and veterinary needs.

The export of lion bones originating from lion farms has been illegal since 2019. This followed a high court ruling in which the export quota – the maximum number of lion skeletons that could be legally exported – was declared unconstitutional based on animal cruelty concerns.

Read more: Lions are still being farmed in South Africa for hunters and tourism – they shouldn't be

Illegal and unethical activities associated with the industry were also a factor which led a team of traditional leaders, lion farmers and scientists to conclude in a high-level panel report released in 2020 that captive lion farming was tarnishing the country’s reputation. This report added that the trade threatened South Africa’s global standing as a leader in the conservation of wildlife and as a country and destination with iconic wild lions.

Since 2022, a task team formed by the minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment has been looking for ways to close captive lion facilities.

A promising decision for lions

We’re hopeful about the new ministerial report because it confirms that in the long run it will be compulsory for lion farms to close down.

The report is also helpful because it details different options. It gives specific advice on how to take care of healthy lions and stop them from breeding during the phasing out period. It also talks about how to humanely euthanise sick or injured lions and safely dispose of their bodies.

The report also outlines how it intends to use private sector funds to buy up lion bone stockpiles before destroying them. This is likely to be good news for many conservationists and animal welfare advocates who were worried that exporting lion bones might increase demand in Asia for illegally obtained lion parts.

Another positive aspect of the report is that it acknowledges the risks of releasing captive bred lions into the wild, like the danger of them attacking people or livestock and spreading diseases to wild lion populations. Instead of releasing them, the report suggests creating “safe havens” where healthy lions can live out their lives without breeding or interacting with humans, except for veterinary care.

The government must act with urgency

The government has realised that simply hoping lion farmers will stop on their own won’t fix the problem. Now, they’re saying it’s crucial to make it compulsory to stop commercial captive lion breeding in South Africa. This is a big step forward.

However, it’s a concern that the government still hasn’t set a clear deadline for farmers to stop breeding lions commercially and participating in any lion related trade.

Read more: Captive lion breeding in South Africa: the case for a total ban

What’s especially worrying is that the government supports a “trade out exit” plan. This means that instead of being directly compensated for closing down their farms, the captive lion farmers will still be allowed to sell “canned” hunting and trade domestically in live lions, their skeletons, and other lion products while the industry is being phased out.

Without firm deadlines, it is not clear how long lions will continue to suffer in poor conditions. During the phase out period, legal trade could act as a cover for criminal activities, and these facilities will remain a threat to public health and safety. Urgent action is needed to rectify this.

In the coming years, we’ll see how challenging it is for a country to shut down a long standing, mostly unregulated industry like commercial captive lion breeding. This will be an important example for other countries considering starting or stopping similar industries with wild animals.

• lion hunting
• Natural world

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