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Cape Town - Not being part of Super Rugby has not stopped Lions skipper JC Janse van Rensburg to dream of a Springbok cap.
The 27-year-old prop will lead his team in the Lions Challenge this year - a second grade competition organised by the Golden Lions Rugby Union to give their players enough game time after they were excluded from this year's Super Rugby competition.
The Johannesburg-based side will play matches against local as well as overseas teams as they prepare for re-entry into Super Rugby via promotion-relegation games scheduled for the weekends of July 27-August 3.
Janse van Rensburg was drafted into the Bok squad on their European tour last year but did not feature on the playing field. He also opted against representing another South African franchise on loan for the Super-season. Springboks Elton Jantjies (Stormers), Jaco Taute (Stormers), Lionel Mapoe (Bulls) and Franco van der Merwe (Sharks) decided to leave the Johannesburg side in order to remain playing at the highest level.
But Janse van Rensburg feels good play could still be rewarded despite it not being in a top event like Super Rugby.
"It all depends on yourself. They (Bok selectors) surely have to look at our games as well," he told the Beeld website. "Therefore, I have to approach it like any other game and try to play my best."
He also said they will be taking the Lions Challenge very seriously.
"We want to win every game. Of course Bok ambitions are always priority, but you have to perform in order to get picked.
"I've had a good pre-season and hopefully I can make it count now."
The Lions face the Cheetahs at Ellis Park on Saturday. They beat Russia 53-13 over the weekend.
Teams:
Lions: TBA
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 JP Nel, 12 Robert Ebersohn (captain), 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Pieter van Zyl, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Tertius Daniller, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.
Substitutes: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Ligtoring Landman, 19 Waltie Vermeulen, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Barry Geel, 22 Hansie Graaff.
Lions fixture list for 2013 (which includes Lions Challenge matches and excludes Currie Cup games):
January 19: Lions v Russia - Ellis Park
January 23: Lions v Cheetahs - Ellis Park
February 2: Lions v Bulls - Orlando Stadium, Soweto
February 9: Lions v Kings - Ellis Park
February 23: Namibia v Lions - Windhoek
March 16: Lions v Mont de Marsan - Ellis Park
April 13: US Invitational v Lions - Ervine, California
April 20: US Invitational v Lions - Vancouver, Canada
April 27: Chicago Lions v Lions - Chicago
May 11: Lions v Agen - Ellis Park
June 1: Lions v Samoa - Ellis Park
June 8: Lions v French Barbarians - Ellis Park
June 15: Lions v Stormers - Ellis Park
June 21: Lions v Sharks - Ellis Park
July 12: Lions v Montpellier - Ellis Park
July 20: Lions v Grenoble - Ellis Park
July 27: Super Rugby promotion/relegation first leg - TBA
August 3: Super Rugby promotion/relegation - Ellis Park
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you think any of the Lions players playing in the Lions Challenge will be considered by the Springbok selectors? Should they be considered? Send your thoughts to Sport24.
The 27-year-old prop will lead his team in the Lions Challenge this year - a second grade competition organised by the Golden Lions Rugby Union to give their players enough game time after they were excluded from this year's Super Rugby competition.
The Johannesburg-based side will play matches against local as well as overseas teams as they prepare for re-entry into Super Rugby via promotion-relegation games scheduled for the weekends of July 27-August 3.
Janse van Rensburg was drafted into the Bok squad on their European tour last year but did not feature on the playing field. He also opted against representing another South African franchise on loan for the Super-season. Springboks Elton Jantjies (Stormers), Jaco Taute (Stormers), Lionel Mapoe (Bulls) and Franco van der Merwe (Sharks) decided to leave the Johannesburg side in order to remain playing at the highest level.
But Janse van Rensburg feels good play could still be rewarded despite it not being in a top event like Super Rugby.
"It all depends on yourself. They (Bok selectors) surely have to look at our games as well," he told the Beeld website. "Therefore, I have to approach it like any other game and try to play my best."
He also said they will be taking the Lions Challenge very seriously.
"We want to win every game. Of course Bok ambitions are always priority, but you have to perform in order to get picked.
"I've had a good pre-season and hopefully I can make it count now."
The Lions face the Cheetahs at Ellis Park on Saturday. They beat Russia 53-13 over the weekend.
Teams:
Lions: TBA
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 JP Nel, 12 Robert Ebersohn (captain), 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Pieter van Zyl, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Tertius Daniller, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.
Substitutes: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Ligtoring Landman, 19 Waltie Vermeulen, 20 Tewis de Bruyn, 21 Barry Geel, 22 Hansie Graaff.
Lions fixture list for 2013 (which includes Lions Challenge matches and excludes Currie Cup games):
January 19: Lions v Russia - Ellis Park
January 23: Lions v Cheetahs - Ellis Park
February 2: Lions v Bulls - Orlando Stadium, Soweto
February 9: Lions v Kings - Ellis Park
February 23: Namibia v Lions - Windhoek
March 16: Lions v Mont de Marsan - Ellis Park
April 13: US Invitational v Lions - Ervine, California
April 20: US Invitational v Lions - Vancouver, Canada
April 27: Chicago Lions v Lions - Chicago
May 11: Lions v Agen - Ellis Park
June 1: Lions v Samoa - Ellis Park
June 8: Lions v French Barbarians - Ellis Park
June 15: Lions v Stormers - Ellis Park
June 21: Lions v Sharks - Ellis Park
July 12: Lions v Montpellier - Ellis Park
July 20: Lions v Grenoble - Ellis Park
July 27: Super Rugby promotion/relegation first leg - TBA
August 3: Super Rugby promotion/relegation - Ellis Park
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you think any of the Lions players playing in the Lions Challenge will be considered by the Springbok selectors? Should they be considered? Send your thoughts to Sport24.
