Lions

The Lions, known as the Cats between the 1998 and 2006 seasons, are a South African professional Rugby union football team who competed in the Super Rugby competition. They have not achieved great success in the competition, finishing at the bottom of the table six times. However, they have managed to reach the semifinal stage twice. The Lions play in a red and white strip. The team faced relegation from the Super 14 after the Southern Spears won a court ruling that they be included in the competition in place of the lowest ranked South African team in the 2006 competition. However, the Spears and the country's national federation, the South African Rugby Union, reached a settlement of their legal case. By the terms of the settlement, announced on November 16, 2006, the financially troubled Spears abandoned their case. However, as the Lions finished bottom for the 2012 Super Rugby table they were replaced in the 2013 competition by the Southern Kings. The Lions will have the opportunity to regain a place in the 2014 Super Rugby tournament, playing a two leg playoff against the South African team that finishes bottom in the 2013 Super Rugby season.

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