Johannesburg - The Lions have agreed to release four players to clubs abroad for the duration of the Currie Cup tournament.
Flyhalf Elton Jantjies (NTT Shining Arcs), centre Lionel Mapoe (Kubota Spears) and loose forward Warwick Tecklenburg (Kamaishi) have all signed agreements in Japan until February 2016.
Meanwhile, hooker Armand "Akker" van der Merwe has signed a deal with Racing Metro which will see him play in France for the remainder of the 2015 season.
The players will return ahead of the 2016 Super Rugby tournament and will represent the Lions in next year’s competition.
The players have all committed to Lions Rugby until the end of 2016, the union announced via their official website.
Lions Rugby High Performance Manager Bart Schoeman believes the stint abroad will not only be beneficial for the select group of players involved but also for developing young talent within the Lions structures.
“Following on from last year’s successful placement abroad, Lions Rugby has opted to selectively release a group of players for the Currie Cup tournament again this season,” said Schoeman.
“We believe that sending this group of players abroad for several months will not only benefit them as players but will also benefit the union immensely, as we look to develop the young talent we have available here and give a new talent pool the opportunity to perform in the Currie Cup. This was a great success in 2014 and we are hoping to replicate that this season.”