Edwill van der Merwe heads down to Durban to join the Sharks, while Marius Louw departs overseas to join English Premiership side Sale Sharks.
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen was happy to send off departing players Edwill van der Merwe and Marius Louw on a winning note after the team’s exhilarating 29-28 United Rugby Championship (URC) win over Ospreys at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Wing Van der Merwe has signed for the Sharks in Durban and will join up with his new side in the off season, while centre Louw heads overseas to English Premiership club Sale Sharks.
Both players have been integral members of the Lions team since arriving from the Stormers and Sharks in 2021 and 2022 respectively, with Van der Merwe becoming the Lions’ most lethal finisher, while Louw became the club captain.
After it was confirmed a week previously that the Lions were out of the running for the URC playoffs, making it another season of disappointment, scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys and prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye spoke of the team’s eagerness to send their stalwarts off on a high.
And so they did, although it took a last gasp try from flyhalf Lubabalo Dobela after the fulltime hooter to secure the win, which also snapped a three game losing streak against their ‘bogey’ Welsh opponents.
Van der Merwe also enjoyed a try scoring goodbye, as he showed all his trademark finishing skills to open the scoring for the Lions in the first half.
Pleased with result
After the match Van Rooyen said he was pleased with the result and happy to give the two stalwarts a positive send off, but was sad to lose two key players for next season.
“To win one of the tight ones is nice. I think at stages we played really good rugby, we just didn’t manage to finish in the last 20m,” said Van Rooyen about the game.
“The one try they scored seemed to be forward, and they put us under pressure and made it a lot tighter than the flow of the game went. But to finish at the end is really cool, to send off Marius and Edwill.
“It was really an honour and a privilege to have them in our system. They are great team guys, ultimate professionals on and off the field, so to have them in our system was awesome. To lose them obviously is then the opposite.
“You never want to lose two of your most senior players, experience wise and performance wise. So we wanted to get a win for them as well. Their contribution this season and in previous seasons was immense. It’s sad to see them go. Good luck to Maro in England, and we’ll see Edwill soon.”
The Lions now break for the off season, although a number of their squad will be back in action in the Currie Cup which kicks off in July.
