Port Elizabeth – The uncertainty around the Southern Kings’ participation in Super Rugby next year has taken another twist, as a player group have demanded that Eastern Province Rugby Union president Cheeky Watson resign from his post.
This comes after a player meeting was held on Friday night following the release of the South African Rugby Union’s (Saru) plans earlier that day on the way forward for the Kings, whose players and staff haven’t been paid salaries for the last two months.
Saru said in a statement that former Boland mentor Deon Davids has been appointed as head coach, but more importantly, that players and management officials’ outstanding salaries will be paid this week.
But that only applies to those involved with the Super Rugby franchise’s 42-man squad that will be announced in the coming days, and not all players and officials from the EP Kings.
Saru chief executive Jurie Roux said that the national body were hoping to confirm two new sponsors in early 2016 to help fund the Southern Kings.
The cash crisis has led to head coach Brent Janse van Rensburg and senior players Lizo Gqoboka, Tim Whitehead, Luther Obi and possibly Tim Agaba, Sylvain Mahuza and Thembelani Bholi leaving the Kings in recent months.
Roux added that half of the 42-man Southern Kings squad would come from the EP Kings, with the rest set to come from around the country and perhaps even overseas.
“We are unable to go into all the player details right now as we still have to confirm some contracts and tie up loan arrangements, but considering when we started and from what base, I am very pleased with where we have come,” Roux said.
“I believe we are putting together a more than competent squad that will not only be representative of the region, but coincidentally meets the targets of our Strategic Transformation Plan four years ahead of schedule.
“The squad we have identified will have around 50 percent black players, while the management team is more than 50% black. Our rugby department has picked the best available talent.”
But the EP Kings player group – calling themselves “One Team” – released a statement to the EP supporters club EP Kings Army on Facebook, and said they want Watson to go.
“The EP Kings Players have no confidence in Mr Cheeky Watson. We feel he is no longer fit to hold office, and as such needs to step down or be removed with immediate effect. We also have no confidence in the SARU plan as this will only cater to a very small percentage of current Kings players,” the statement read.
It is believed that the players have signed a petition to strike if their salaries are not paid by December 18.
Saru stated their mobi-unit coaches – headed by Rassie Erasmus and including Louis Koen, Pieter de Villiers and Chean Roux – will act as consultants to the Kings, and that SARU chief financial officer Basil Haddad will deal with the finances.
The union said that the Southern Kings will be run by Saru as a separate entity to the EP Rugby Union.
Apart from Davids as head coach, former EP stalwart and Bok Sevens star Mzwandile Stick will be the backline coach, while ex-Cheetahs lock Barend Pieterse will take care of the forwards.
The management team is completed by Nadus Niewoudt (conditioning coach) and Zingi Hela (team manager), while Dr Konrad von Hagen and physiotherapist Kim Naidoo make up the medical team.
The Southern Kings are due to kick off their Super Rugby campaign on February 27 against the Sharks at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
“Next week will be spent on medical, administration and logistical planning before the players break up and work on individualised fitness programmes before returning on January 4. We have already earmarked some warm-up matches against local opposition in January, so we believe that on-field affairs are well in hand,” Roux said.
Watson said in the Saru statement: “We would like to thank Saru for their assistance in this regard and can’t wait to work with them on this exciting venture. We’re fully committed to assisting Saru in making a success of the Southern Kings in Super Rugby next year.”
– African News Agency (ANA)