Kings to give their all
Super axe threat now looms large
IF THE Southern Kings are axed from Super Rugby on Friday it is clear that their players are planning to leave the tournament with a massive bang rather than a whimper.
Stoic Southern Kings prop Ross Geldenhuys has admitted it will be a sad farewell if his team are cut from the competition.
SA Rugby chiefs will announce in Cape Town on Friday which two South African teams will be cut from Super Rugby and the Kings and Cheetahs are favoured to get the chop.
Geldenhuys was speaking after the Kings’ stunning 31-30 win over the Jaguares at the intimidating Estadio Jose Amalfitani Stadium on Saturday.
It was the Kings’ fifth victory of the season and provided further evidence of their recent resurgence.
It is expected that the Kings, if they are axed, will join an enlarged European Pro12 tournament which kicks off in September.
“We don’t really know about next season,” Geldenhuys said.
“We need to wait for the powers that be at Sanzaar and SA Rugby to determine what is happening.
“If it is Pro12 it is Pro12 and if it is Super Rugby it is Super Rugby. We just need to just focus on the next game and the more we win the harder it will be for us to leave.”
The Kings will be looking for their fifth win in seven matches when they face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Kings chief operating officer Charl Crous said it had been a magnificent win against a strong Jaguares side.
“I am extremely proud of the team. For us to go all the way there and deliver such a performance was magnificent. It was a great victory,” Crous said.
“The players and team management have put in a lot of hard work to get results like this. We are now looking forward to the rest of the season with games against the Bulls away and the Cheetahs at home.
“We are asking for the people of the region to come out and support the Kings in the final game against the Cheetahs at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on July 14.
“They must start making their arrangements now to be at the stadium and support the guys for the last Super Rugby game of the season,” Crous said.
If the Kings are cut from Super Rugby it has been mooted that they could play some home games in England in the Pro12.
Saracens’ Allianz Arena in London has been mentioned as a potential venue in a bid to cut back on travel expenses.
If the Kings play in the Pro12 they will join teams from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy in a 14team league.
Teams will play on a home and away basis but what has yet to be agreed is the format of the competition, whether it will be played as one 14-team league or two conferences of seven.
This would be the first major change to the Pro Rugby competition since the introduction of Italian sides in 2010.
SA Rugby is apparently eager to align with a northern hemisphere tournament, which has a similar time zone, to make cross-border games compatible for television broadcasters.
Kings head coach Deon Davids said he not sure of what the future holds and is awaiting Saru’s decision on Friday.
Speculating on possible participation in the Pro12 Davids said: “I think the Pro12 is something different and it opens a different landscape for the players and coaches. It would also be a new experience if you will play against teams in different conditions and in different countries over a new time period.
“So it would be a huge challenge, but an excellent chance to familiarise yourself with the type of rugby that is played in the northern hemisphere.”
See also page 14