Season Story
The Season, Start to Finish
Eleven months, three competitions and one trophy that had never been to Johannesburg before.
What the Lions Won in 2025/26
A first Shield, a first URC quarter-final, and qualification for the biggest club competition in the northern hemisphere.
Resilience
If you had to reduce eleven months to a single word, this is the one that survives every argument.
Three Defeats in Europe
The Lions began the 2025/26 campaign with the worst start of their URC era. It is the reason the rest of the season means what it does.
Eight From Nine
336 points scored, 209 conceded, and one of the most intimidating home records in the United Rugby Championship.
The Road Back
The Lions lost their first three away matches of the season. What they did on the road after that is the less obvious story of the campaign.
Lions 24 Stormers 10
Ellis Park, Round 12. Ninety minutes that delivered the first South African Shield in the club's history.
October at Ellis Park
Every season has a moment where it stops being one thing and becomes another. This one has a month.
The Ones Who Arrived
A Shield-winning season is also a season in which several careers changed shape. These are the six that changed most.
TEN MOMENTS
Counting down the season that brought the South African Shield to Johannesburg.