Lions coach Swys de Bruin believes the mass exodus at the franchise couldn’t have been prevented.
Springboks Jaco Kiriel, Ruan Dreyer, Franco Mostert, Rohan Janse van Rensburg are all leaving at the end of the season.
And Jacques van Rooyen and Andries Coetzee could also be on the way out, meaning the losers of the last two Super Rugby finals will have to start from scratch in 2019.
And De Bruyn says: “It’s definitely been a tougher year than in 2016 and 2017.
“It’s been an interesting year, with lots of challenges... like all the guys who’ve said they’re leaving.
“It’s been coming for a while. We’ve all been together as a group for six years, and it’s normal that guys will get offers to go play elsewhere.
“They’re excellent offers, and who wouldn’t want to grab the opportunity?”.