Whiteley, Groom named in Lions touring squad

Cape Town - A fit-again Warren Whiteley has been included in the Lions' touring squad for their four-game Australasian tour, while new scrumhalf recruit Nic Groom is also included.

READ: Why Lions MUST hit ground running on tour

Coach Swys de Bruin on Monday named a 27-man Lions squad for the tour which includes games against the Waratahs (Sydney, April 20), Reds (Brisbane, April 28), Hurricanes (Wellington, May 5) and Highlanders (Dunedin, May 12).

Whiteley, the Lions captain, has recovered from a knee injury suffered against the Blues last month, while Groom is picked after arriving from English club Northampton Saints.

Regular scrumhalf Ross Cronje is still sidelined with a rib injury and will miss the tour, along with promising winger Aphiwe Dyantyi, who is struggling with a pectoral muscle injury.

Lions touring squad: Jacobie Adriaanse, Cyle Brink, Andries Coetzee, Robbie Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Ashlon Davids, Hacjivah Dayimani, Ruan Dreyer, Lourens Erasmus, Andries Ferreira, Nic Groom, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Elton Jantjies, Johannes Jonker, Sylvian Mahuza, Lionel Mapoe, Malcolm Marx, Francois Mostert, Marvin Orie, Marnus Schoeman, Dillon Smit, Dylan Smith, Kwagga Smith, Madosh Tambwe, Jacques Van Rooyen, Harold Vorster, Warren Whiteley