PHOTOS: Ernie Els surprises the Lions
South African golfing icon Ernie Els paid a surprise visit to the Lions' training ground in Johannesburg on Monday.
Els paid the rugby team a visit to wish them well as the 2015 Currie Cup champions intensify their preparations for the coming Super Rugby season.
Els has remained in the country for this week's co-sanctioned Joburg Open, which starts on Thursday at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.
The Big Easy, as Els is fondly known, says former flyhalf Gerald Bosch was his first hero and he has been a Lions supporter ever since he can remember.
"I grew up in Germiston...and I played my golf at Kempton Park so I'm a real 'back-in-the-day East Rander'," he said.
Els, who lives with his family in the United States, says even in America - or when on tour - he very rarely misses a Lions game.
"It's great to [follow] them again, because we've had a lot of lean years and now we are swimming nicely," he said.
Els gave the team a motivational pep-talk ahead of a tough pre-season training session.
Hoese "Oom" ? @TheBig_Easy chats to @robbie_CL2 during a brief visit to @LionsRugbyUnion training in Jhb. pic.twitter.com/pvYfRXbex4
— Jacaranda FM Sport (@Jacasport) January 11, 2016It's mine ! @TheBig_Easy with @jacok6 & @WarrenWhiteley . Golf icon popped in to @LionsRugbyUnion training. pic.twitter.com/JRUtbS4PXI
— Jacaranda FM Sport (@Jacasport) January 11, 2016#Superfan @TheBig_Easy with the coveted #CurrieCup - @LionsRugbyUnion skipper @jacok6 pic.twitter.com/dRPRb9Clsl
— Jacaranda FM Sport (@Jacasport) January 11, 2016#CurrieCup champions @LionsRugbyUnion line-up with #Superfan @TheBig_Easy who visited am training. pic.twitter.com/ROFp27zwSw
— Jacaranda FM Sport (@Jacasport) January 11, 2016(Edited by Suné du Toit)
(Photos: Trevor Cramer)