Big blow to Kings’ hopes of playing overseas soon
● Team may be involved in national competition that will overlap into the start of the new PRO14 season
In a crushing blow to their aspirations of a quick resumption to playing overseas again in the Guinness PRO14 this year, the Isuzu Southern Kings have been warned they may only rejoin the competition in January next year.
This forecast has been made by Cheetahs CEO Harold Verster, who predicts his team and the Kings may be involved in a SA Derby League and Currie Cup competition that will overlap into the start of the new PRO14 season.
And, in the topsy turvy world of Covid-19 normality, the Kings could be playing for PRO14 log points even when they face the Cheetahs in the SA Derby League or Currie Cup later this season.
If the new PRO14 2020/2021 season starts towards the end of this year, the Cheetahs and Kings might have to delay their participation until early next year.
The continued uncertainty regarding cross-border travel in the global five nation PRO14 league, means the Kings and Cheetahs are unlikely to travel overseas again this year.
“I predict that we’ll have a Currie Cup competition that might overlap into October or even November and we’ll ask to join into the PRO14, us and the Kings, in January,” Verster said.
Verster also ruled out the possibility of the Cheetahs splitting their squads towards the end the year by fielding one side in the Currie Cup and another in the PRO14.
“That didn’t work out for us and it was bad for both competitions.
“We’ll never enter into that kind of problem again,” he said.
Though the Kings and Cheetahs are unlikely to travel overseas to play in the PRO14 again this year, both teams remain fully committed to the European-based tournament.
Verster said he had been having weekly video meetings with PRO14 organisers throughout the national lockdown and that the 2019/2020 tournament could resume as soon as August 22.
If that happened, then the competition would go ahead without the Cheetahs and the Kings.
It was possible, Verster said, that the Cheetahs could feature in a domestic SA competition with the Super Rugby sides before the Currie Cup.
“I think we could have a domestic competition a bit later on, but international travel will be difficult,” Verster said.
“They will have the Kings and Cheetahs play another two games, maybe in the Currie Cup, that will count in the PRO14 as well.
“They are waiting for their different governments, but they are bullish to start on August 22 if they get the green light, maybe behind closed doors.
“Then the new season could start in October/November/December, or even in January next year,” Verster said.
“The new campaign might start towards the end of the year and then it’s difficult to tell whether we will be involved because of the Currie Cup structure that might come.”
The Cheetahs, like all SA’s unions, have implemented pay cuts across the board but remain “stable” in the financial uncertainty that has come as a result of the crippling fight against the coronavirus crisis.
“The financial affect on rugby is huge.
“We don’t play rugby so there are no turnstiles rolling,” Verster said.
“The sponsors are waiting to see what will happen so there is no advertising and even the broadcasting income, while it hasn’t been affected yet, that will come if there is nothing on the table soon.
“We have a fantastic sponsor in Toyota who stick with us.
“Second, we’ve also got shareholders like SuperSport who support us.
“Our cash flow is a challenge, but we are stable.
“The Cheetahs were also able to hold onto all of their players during the recently completed 21-day window that allowed all professional players in SA the opportunity to exit their existing contracts.”
They have lost hooker Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux-Begles) and lock Walt Steenkamp (Bulls) in recent days, but those deals were concluded outside the 21-day window while they have also welcomed two-time World Cup winning Springbok Frans Steyn.
While this could present a time of unity in SA rugby where the franchises and unions work together for a common cause, Verster is sceptical.
“I think it brought us closer, but I’ve worked in rugby for 50 years and I’ve never really seen the unions united,” he said.
“It’s about ‘me’ not about ‘us’.
“In the PRO14 they stick together and sort it out.
“SA is more challenging. “We have to work together and be kind to each other, but then suddenly they [bigger SA unions] buy six of our top players and you feel the punch.
“Then they buy our doctor, then our fitness trainer, then our captain and then another captain ... it never stops.
“We must work together, but it must go both ways.”