Three-week wait for Super cut
THE Southern Kings are facing an agonising three-week wait before South African rugby chiefs make a crucial decision on whether they will be cut from Super Rugby.
Months of indecision will come to an end on July 7 in Cape Town at a special general meeting which will confirm the four SA entrants to a revised Super Rugby competition from 2018.
Because of the delay, there has been speculation that the Kings and the Cheetahs have already been cut and that they will compete in an enlarged European Pro12 competition next season.
There has been strong backing for the Kings to stay even if it is the guise of an Eastern Cape franchise.
Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett has proposed that the country be divided into four regions with Gauteng (Bulls and Lions), KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape (Kings and Cheetahs) and Western Cape making up the four South African franchises.
Next month’s general meeting has the constitutional responsibility for “determining the SA teams to participate in Super Rugby”.
SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux said the meeting would decide on a proposal from the executive council which, in turn, would have received a recommendation on the participants from the franchise committee, whose membership is representatives of the Super Rugby teams.
The proposal will also be debated by the non-franchise committee which comprises the chief executives of the 14 provincial rugby unions before reaching the special general meeting.
Despite widespread speculation that the Kings are already out of Super Rugby, EP Rugby Union president Andre Rademan and Kings chief operating officer have stressed that remaining in the Sanzaar competition is top prize,
After the Kings scored a historic win over the Sharks in front of 22 000 fans at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Rademan made his feelings clear.
“Recent reports that I would prefer the Kings to participate in a European rugby competition, rather than play Super Rugby is without foundation, and wrong.
“I will do everything within my power to secure the continued participation of the Kings in Super Rugby,” said Rademan.
When the talk of the Kings being chopped first emerged their chief operating officer Charl Crous said it would be premature to assume that the Kings would not be among South Africa’s four franchises to appear in Super Rugby in 2018.
“No decision has been made on that question as yet. Various options on the way forward will have to be assessed,” he said.
Insiders say the Cheetahs and the Kings are not unhappy about developments regarding possibly playing in the Pro12 or 14 because they will still earn better money from broadcast rights (paid in pounds) and also have less travel and probably a better chance of successl.