The Lions attracted less than 2,000 fans – including travelling Scarlets supporters – for Saturday’s Vodacom URC match at Ellis Park.

The Lions came into the clash, which kicked off at 1:45pm, having suffered three tour defeats to start the season. But Cash van Rooyen’s side would still have expected more support as they looked to bounce back at home.

Images of an almost empty Ellis Park were shared widely on social media over the weekend. Some Welsh fans used the poor attendance as another reason for Wales to ditch the URC for the English Premiership, while South African fans said it was time for the Lions to move to a smaller stadium in a safer part of Joburg.

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The Lions won the match 29-18, which could result in a better turnout at the 62,000-capacity stadium for Saturday’s meeting with Ulster.

Ellis Park ‘crowd’ for #LIOvSCA 😳 pic.twitter.com/nnrpgiFKsf

— Simon Borchardt (@SimonBorchardt) October 18, 2025