Lions still hungry for Currie Cup

It is a competition that comes under siege from administrators and plummeting attendance registers annually, but Lions coach Johan Ackermann believes the Currie Cup is still a trophy worth winning.

The Lions, who were runners up to Western Province last year, begin their campaign against the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth tomorrow looking to go one better this time around.

"This is still a competition we are proud to play in," said Ackermann.

"When you walk in the streets and interact with supporters you realise how much they still really want the trophy.

"Because the Springboks are not in the competition, the door has been opened for some new combinations and new players in each union.

"These players will bring something new to the competition."

Of course, there's the promise of watching another Lions team that is full of attacking verve. In Super Rugby this year the Lions made other teams - bar the Highlanders and Hurricanes - look about as exciting as watching grass being cut.

Ackermann, who has paired captain Jaco Kriel and Kwagga Smith at the side of the scrum, said that they were back in the factory cooking up new things to thrill the fans with.

"We've worked hard for the last four weeks but there's a grey area in the first two weeks of the competition in terms of how fit you are and whether all the plans are in place," he said.