The Lions may have thought that 2012 was their worst year in history, being excluded from the Super Rugby tournament for the first time and seeing their players leave one after the other. 2013 has started in much the same fashion, with the announcement coming that they have lost their stadium sponsor.
Ellis Park will again be Ellis Park, and no longer Coca Cola Park, which has been the purchased name sincce 2008, after Coca Cola ended their naming rights sponsorship of the stadium. This leaves a R12 million gap in the budget of the Johannesburg Union which puts them even further on the back foot.
Coca Cola were quoted as saying that the sponsorship was mutually beneficial to both parties but that the company would be focussing on youth sports development.

Lions can make-up R1 million if they sell JC to the Sharks. Now they only need another R11 million.
but are we wanting to buy props or build them up?