Kings key to SARU transformation
The Southern Kings will feel the weight of transformation expectation when they re-enter Super Rugby next year.
Following their brief flirtation with the SANZAR competition in 2013 – at the expense of the Lions – the Kings maintained they can only truly meet the South African Rugby Union's transformation goals if they have a more permanent place in Super Rugby.
That will happen when they join an expanded 18-team competition in 2016, where they will be one of eight teams in the South African conference – which will also feature a team from Argentina and one from Japan.
And with SARU's stated desire to increase the number of black African players at the highest level, the Kings – in the hub of black African rugby – will have to deliver a significant number of new players to the existing pool.
"We are obviously chasing black African players more than others," SARU CEO Jurie Roux said at the launch of their Strategic Transformation Plan in Cape Town.
"They are very important," Roux told rugby365 in an interview, when asked about the Kings' role in the greater STP plan.
"The Eastern Cape franchise was a drive for one reason and one reason only – that is to help us in the process of getting black players into Super Rugby.
"They have a very good understanding of which direction they have to take.
"They have certainty now in terms of where they are going, so hopefully they have all their plans in place."
Roux said that SARU have an enormous base and number of coloured players from the Western Cape that have already come through, because of the system.
"The Mecca of black African players are in the Eastern Cape and we have to get that organised," Roux said, adding: "We have to ensure those players come through."
SARU have three academies up and running in the Kings' catchment area.
"We have to take them from that level and push them through.
"We've had success already.
"Some of them will hopefully play for Kings next year and some of them will play at different levels," Roux said, adding that it is also a long-term project.
"They are sitting in what is the hub of black African rugby – the number of clubs there are ridiculous.
"They have a responsibility and they know their responsibility and hopefully they will come through."
The current version of the Kings have their origins in the Southern Spears, a still-born franchise in 2005 that failed at all levels amidst massive financial irregularities in the region.
The Kings' catchment area include three provincial unions – namely the Eastern Province Kings, based in Port Elizabeth (representing the southern half of the Eastern Cape), the Border Bulldogs, based in East London (representing the northern half of the Eastern Cape) and the SWD Eagles, based in George (representing the South Western Districts).
Following the snake pit that was the Spears in 2005, in January 2009 SARU announced that a new franchise in the Eastern Cape would be launched.
In June of that year they played a one-off match against the British and Irish Lions in Port Elizabeth as part of the launch.
They also played in the 2011 IRB Nations Cup, where they participated as the South African Kings. They won all three their games, beating Georgia, Romania and Portugal on their way to winning the competition.
They applied to join the Australian conference when it was expanded to 15 teams in 2011 – going head-to-head with the Melbourne-based Rebels.
However, SANZAR was forced to go to arbitration after SARU stood firm on the Kings' participation. Eventually the franchise was awarded to the Rebels, purely on financial considerations.
In January 2012 SARU confirmed that the Kings would participate in the 2013 Super Rugby season, which caused a huge storm of protest – especially after it came to light that the Lions would be kicked out.
They made their Super Rugby debut on February 23 that season, when they played in a second round match against Australian side the Force at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The Kings won the game 22–10, with Sergeal Petersen scoring two tries and Demetri Catrakilis contributing 12 points with the boot.
They also held eventual Australian conference winners the Brumbies to a 28–all draw in Canberra, beat the Rebels in Melbourne and the Highlanders in Port Elizabeth, but finished bottom of the South African Conference and had to play promotion/relegation play-off matches against the Lions.
The Lions beat the Kings 26–19 in Port Elizabeth and the Kings emerged victorious in Johannesburg, winning 23–18. With the teams being level on log points, the Lions' overall 44–42 points difference saw the Lions return to Super Rugby in 2014 at the expense of the Kings.
In September 2013 SANZAR boss Greg Peters confirmed that South Africa will get a sixth Super Rugby franchise from 2016, opening the door for the Kings to participate in the competition on a permanent basis.
Their participation was rubber-stamped last year when SANZAR confirmed the competition will expand to 18 teams in 2016 – with the Kings joining the South African conference, along with 'teams from Argentina and Japan.
By Jan de Koning
@King365ed
@rugby365com
