The Xerox Golden Lions will run out in navy blue jerseys as they kick-off their Absa Currie Cup campaign against the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The match, which will mark the Golden Lions Rugby Union’s 125th anniversary, will see the Xerox Golden Lions forgo their standard white jersey with the red strip in order to commemorate this special occasion.

The jersey will be unveiled at a 125-year celebration banquet, to be held at Ellis Park this evening. Guests will include past and present players, staff and administrators as well as supporters and sponsors who have all been involved in building the GLRU legacy.

The navy jersey is known to be the inaugural Transvaal jersey, first officially registered in the 1895 Currie Cup.

These were the colours of Diggers Rugby Club at the time. The switch to the white and red jersey was only made in 1933 and these colours have remained ever since.

One of the prize items to be auctioned at this evening’s event will include a replica of the inaugural navy jersey, which will include the names of all Golden Lions players who went on to represent the Springboks.

The jersey will also list the names of the individuals who represented South Africa prior to 1991, but who were discriminated against due to race.

Xerox, who were the first official Golden Lions sponsors as of 1993, will sponsor the event. GLRU Chief Executive Officer, Rudolf Straeuli is proud to see the Union host such a significant occasion and wishes to thank Xerox for their continued support.

“A special word of thanks must go out to Xerox, who were the Golden Lions’ very first title sponsor when I was still playing for the Union,” said Straeuli. “Xerox sponsored our team in 1993, when we won the Currie Cup, and we are immensely grateful that they have come on board to work alongside us during this year’s tournament and for this important milestone year.”

LIST OF GOLDEN LIONS CALLED UP TO THE SPRINGBOKS:

1891
M.T. (TIGER ) DEVENISH
JAPIE LOUW
MOSEY VAN BUUREN
J.T (CHUBB) VIGNE

1896
JOHN BEN ANDREW
FERDIE ASTON
DAVEY COPE
JIM CROSBY
LONG JOHN DEVENISH
H.H. (SPANNER) FORBES
HENRY GORTON
PAUL SCOTT
ALF LARARD

1903
CHARLIE JONES
ANDREW MORKEL
ALEX FREW
WILLIE McEWAN
JIMMY SINCLAIR
PO NEL
J.E.C. (BIRDIE) PARTRIDGE
JOHN BOTHA
HUGH FERRIS

1906
SOMMIE MORKEL
DOUGIE MORKEL
BERT REID
DIETLOF MARE

1910
DIRKIE DE VILLIERS
C.H.L. (COCKY) HAHN
HENRY WALKER
NIC CROSBY
CLIFF RIORDAN
TOBY MOLL

1912
JAN STEGMAN
APIE VAN DER HOFF
E. (BABY) SHUM
A.S. (SATURDAY) KNIGHT
FANIE CRONJE
JOE FRANCIS

1921
I.B DE VILLIERS
ATTIE VAN HEERDEN
MANNETJIES MICHAU
MERVIN ELLIS
G.W. (TANK) VAN ROOYEN
THEUNS KRUGER

1924
JACK VAN DRUTEN
NICO BOSMAN
DAAUNCEY DEVINE

1928
J.P. (BOET) PRINSLOO
NICK PRETORIUS
JOHN DOBIE
JOHN OLIVER

1931
NIC BIERMAN
H.M. (SKAAP) FORREST
VERNON GEERE

1937/38
TALLIE BROODRYK
TONY HARRIS
BEN DU TOIT
JAN LOTZ
H.J. (KALFIE ) MARTIN
ROGER SHERRIFF

1939
ABUBAKER CASTOR
D VAN HEERDEN
1949
OKEY GEFFIN
HOPPIE VAN JAARSVELD
FELIX DU PLESSIS
HENNIE MULLER
PIET MALAN

1950
G.A. KHOMO
VABAZA
KOTA

1951
JOHNNY BUCHLER
DES SINCLAIR
HANSIE OELOFSE
FRANZ VAN DER RYST
GERT DANNHAUSER
BASIE VAN WYK
CLIVE SHARP

1952
K. HOMOJLAPI
M. LZIRS

1953
NATIE RENS

1955
CLIVE ULYATE
WILF ROSENBERG

1956
RAYMOND IRWIN
FRANK BASIL RIGNEY
EBRAHIEM “JAP” SALLIE
GOOSAIN “BALLIE” SALLIE

1957
SINGKHAN K MAWING
W VAN WYK

1958
JAN PRINSLOO
MARTIN PELSER
JOHAN STEENEKAMP
JOE KAMINER

1959
ADAM “POPEY” GAFFOOR
PERCY IRWIN

1960
MANNETJIES GERICKE
HENNIE VAN ZYL
AVRIL MALAN
LOFTY NEL
FANIE KUHN

1965/67
JANNIE BARNARD
SYD NOMIS
PIET BOTHA
W. JACOBS
VIVIAN BOOYSEN

1969/70
SAKKIE DE KLERK
ROBBIE BARNARD
W. JONAS
MUSTAPHA DAVIS

1971
PETER CRONJE
SAKKIE SAUERMAN
PETER SWANSON
MARTIENS LOUW

1972
S. DOYI
M. JACOBS

1974
KEVIN DE KLERK
GERALD BOSCH
PAUL BAYVEL
DAVE FREDERICKSON
J.L. (KLIPPIES) KRITZINGER

1976
JOHAN STRAUSS

1980
RICHARD PRENTIS

1983
C.M. NONKONWANA

1984
CHRIS ROGERS
GEORGE SMIT

1986
WAHL BARTMAN
JANNIE BREEDT
PIET KRUGER
J.G. BRILL
J. KRITZINGER
T.M. LILFORD
G.D. LUKIN
P.L. LYNCH
D.L.C. VAN BILJON

1987
D. EDWARDS
J. HENRY
S.L. VAN DER COLF
W.K. DE NIGRINI

1988
T. KOBESI
A. MARITZ

1991
G.J. COMBRINK
C. NIEMAND
C. TERBLANCHE
T. KOBESE
JEROME A MC BRIDE

1992/93
THEO JANSEN VAN RENSBURG
PIETER HENDRIKS
JAMES SMALL
HEINRICH FULS
DEON LOTTER
BALIE SWART
CHRIS DIRKS
GAVIN JOHNSON

1994
JOHAN ROUX
JOHAN LE ROUX
JAMES DALTON
RUDOLF STRAEULI
JAPIE MULDER
CHRISTIAAN SCHOLTZ
HENNIE LE ROUX
IAN HATTINGH

1995
CHRIS ROSSOUW

1996
JOE GILLINGHAM

1997
WARREN BROSNIHAN

1998/99
OWEN NKUMANE
ANDRE VOS

2000
THINUS DELPORT
LOUIS KOEN
GRANT ESTERHUIZEN
JANNES LABUSCHAGNE

2001
DEAN HALL
JOE VAN NIEKERK
CONRAD JANTJIES

2002
ANDRE PRETORIUS
DELARY DU PREEZ

2003
ASHWIN WILLEMSE
WIKUS VAN HEERDEN
GCOBANI BOBO
JORRIE MULLER
JACQUE FOURIE

2004
BRYAN HABANA

2005
ENRICO JANUARY

2006
JACO PRETORIUS

2007
HEINKE VAN DER MERWE

2008
EARL ROSE

2010
ELTON JANTJIES

2012
PATRIC CILLIERS
JACO TAUTE
LIONEL MAPOE
FRANCO VAN DER MERWE
JC JANSE VAN RENSBURG

2014
MARNITZ BOSHOFF

SPRINGBOK CAPTAINS

F. ASTON 1896
A. FREW 1903
D.F.T. MORKEL 1910
F. DU PLESSIS 1949
H.S.V. MULLER 1951-52
A.S. MALAN 1960-65
G.F. MALAN 1963-64
D.J. DE VILLIERS 1970
P.J.F. GREYLING 1972
J.C. BREEDT 1989
J.F. PIENAAR 1993-96
J. ERASMUS 1999
A. VOS 1999-2001