Pretoria - Blue Bulls flanker Warwick Tecklenburg has temporarily stopped the exodus at the Golden Lions by becoming the first player this season to sign for the Johannesburg union since they lost their Super Rugby status.

Tecklenburg, who was first spotted for Tuks at Varsity Cup level and graduated into the Blue Bulls Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup squads, has signed a two-year contract with the Lions, his agent James Adams told the supersport.com website.

With the Lions preparing to organise games against top overseas teams to prepare them for their inevitable promotion-relegation game next year, Tecklenburg was unlikely to get a contract again at the Bulls with the abundance of loose forward talent at the province.

The 25-year-old has had limited time during this year's Currie Cup, getting just two starts in the season where the Bulls have struggled.

Previously the Lions have had to come to terms with losing players such as Jacobie Adriaanse (Scarlets), Josh Strauss (Glasgow), Caylib Oosthuizen (Free State), Paul Willemse (Bulls) and Ruan Botha (WP).

They are also likely to let their three current Springboks play Super Rugby elsewhere next year, with Pat Cilliers, Jaco Taute and Elton Jantjies all negotiating with other provinces at the moment.

The Sharks and Western Province are favourites to snap up the trio of players at the moment.