Saru must deliver on Kings promise
22 Jul 2010
Reports that the Kings are set to play Super Rugby in 2013 must officially be made a reality by Saru, argues GRANT BALL.
Without the lure of Super Rugby for their players, Eastern Province, Border, and SWD have long been haemorrhaging talent. From schools level promising black players are snaffled by schools in Johannesburg, even illegally paying some U18 players to move north.
The latest news on the issue is that the Kings will join an expanded Super 16 in 2013, not in 2011 via a promotion/relegation system. Reports suggest a proposal by South Africa at a Sanzar meeting has been accepted in principle by New Zealand and Australia and a working committee will iron out the finer details of the issue.
But only once Saru makes this official and put it in writing, will the Kings truly believe they’re included in the Super Rugby fold. There have been too many broken promises over the past decade for the rugby people in the Eastern Cape to think otherwise.
The sooner Saru officially announces the Kings will play Super Rugby in two-and-a-half years’ time, the sooner they’ll be able to contract some high-profile overseas players – who have shown interest in playing in Port Elizabeth. If Saru make it official, the building of an academy in the region will help retain the best local young talent – black and white.
The biggest coup for the region’s rugby in gaining a Super Rugby entry has been the official appointment of Alan Solomons as director of rugby of the Kings and EP’s coach for this year’s Currie Cup First Division. Solomons is world renowned, but is a local boy having been schooled in PE, and his reputation is enough to entice players there. His rugby knowledge will also improve the side, and what he did with a makeshift side in one week when the Kings played the Lions last year is an apt example. Having a respected figure heading the team will be attractive to potential sponsors (who will, however, only put money in once Saru make this official and show it’s not another red herring).
Solomons will be eager to prove that the Kings are deserving of a place in Super Rugby. That will mean gaining promotion to the Currie Cup Premier Division this year, competing admirably there in 2011, and being a force by 2012 to ensure the players have confidence to believe they’re good enough for Super Rugby.
Over the next two weekends, EP – who form the base of operations for the franchise – face their biggest challenges to gaining promotion when they play the Griffons at home, and Boland away. Winning those games will go along way to proving their aptitude to be promoted.
Solomons has done some interesting recruitment in the past year, with De Wet Barry, Jaco van Schalkwyk, Rory Duncan, Darron Nell, Tiger Mangweni, and Zolani Mofu joining the side. Some may describe them as seasoned journeymen, but the latter quartet are all from the region and will play a vital role in bringing through the next breed of player, such as locally-produced loose forward Jacques Potgieter.
Those that will be around in 2013 with Potgieter include promising buys such as former Varsity Cup stars Donald Stevens (Maties scrumhalf), Wayne Stevens (UFS centre) and JJ Gagiano (UCT No 8). Barry and co aren’t likely to be still playing by 2013, but along with Solomons they’ll play an important role in mentoring those players.
Solomons’ plan is clear and his pulling power evident. It’s now up to Oregan Hoskins and Andy Marinos at Saru to ensure the official announcement is forthcoming.
19 Comments
22 Jul 2010, 12:11 pm
20/20 concept has been scuppered, so nothing really stopping this now is there?
22 Jul 2010, 12:11 pm
Eastern Province Dragons.
22 Jul 2010, 12:43 pm
Kings are a fake as all those Xhosa chiefs pretending that they are real kings.
22 Jul 2010, 12:48 pm
the way the highlanders & chiefs played, the Kings might just beat them …
22 Jul 2010, 12:48 pm
Can these chokkies please win a few games in the 2nd div before pushing them onto the world stage.
Another SARU joke.
22 Jul 2010, 12:59 pm
they’ll also beat the lions by 10+ .. but so will Soweto
22 Jul 2010, 13:03 pm
Should have been called Southern Stealers
It will inevitably go with the soon to be theme of the union, to implode after a few months through corruption and administrative ineptitude.
22 Jul 2010, 13:24 pm
@Predawn (Great White Shark)(Predawn)-7:
Don’t get Cheeky!
22 Jul 2010, 13:50 pm
HAve t oagree EP and SWD have shown nothing over many years. Thier admin has been a shambles and they can’ tmake an impression in the Vodacom cup.
Let them or anybody else earn their place at the table. lets see them earn a place in the Currie Cup – if they do well there lets talk agin.
Very, very stupid to think they must just be handed a super 15 spot because of racial factors and I thinks the sponsors could well take courst action. The talent mentioned consists of nobody’s.
Must say Keo’s team are taking a pasting. Before the first test they were chest beating in a very embarrassing way. Then they said we must not whinge because we should allow McCaw to get as many warnings as he likes. Now Hoskins is getting a judge to look into matters and say it is a very serious issue!! I don’t know any bok suporter who thinks dear Alain gave us a fair deal. Forget about the result – if we lose we want a fair deal. If we win we also want a fair deal Every side deserves a competent impartial ref. We need to stand very firmly on this issue.
Keo has also been a great victoria supporter and could never see this pap locks faults and lack of any physicality. Then we had the John Smit praise singer!!! John is looking so over the hill he is now in dange of being dropped.
I do like the fact Keo comes out with an opinion but there have been some clangers for sure.
Keo and colleagues come to supersupporterdotcodotza and learn some rugby as we have some there who know their rugby.
22 Jul 2010, 14:31 pm
@Predawn (Great White Shark)(Predawn)-7:
LOL! Southern Haemorrhagers or Southern Gifters, because of all the points they are going to concede. Promotion/Relegation > hand outs
22 Jul 2010, 15:24 pm
Maybe David Kirk can decide again
23 Jul 2010, 01:30 am
another saffa team to join the lions at the bottom of the table. what a joke!!
23 Jul 2010, 01:45 am
@Kiwisamoan(Kiwisamoan)-12:
Yeah, they should set up a seperate league with the Highlanders!
23 Jul 2010, 04:01 am
Greeeeaaaaaat – now we are sending 3 traveliing bonus point teams on tour each year.
23 Jul 2010, 05:54 am
@whatever(whatever)-13: thats a good idea, they can put your sevens team and under 20′s in there too.
23 Jul 2010, 12:40 pm
I don’t get it. Why do they have to contract overseas or even players who moved elsewhere? We’ve been told for so long now that all the quality players come out of EP and they supposedly have about half the registered rugby players!
Same as with the Australian Rebels. None of those players come from their area, and half are foreign players.
My point? So basicly the only things SANZAR need to look at is the stadium and whether the franchise will pull interest. The local players are of no importance.
24 Jul 2010, 07:51 am
@quotas_sux(quota_conrad_jantjies_is_jorrie_muller)-4:
…as opposed to the Cheetahs and the Lions who are always on fire.
24 Jul 2010, 08:44 am
And once again I am chuffed to learn that he (Craig Burden) put in a strong performance, Craig is in a good place mentally and physically and is playing some top rugby… I just hope that when the Boks are forced to play that we combine well with the settled combinations, I am not looking forward to a repeat from last year for (The Sharks Campaign)… And I have to feel for guys like Craig and Kyle Cooper as both Smit and Bismarck will be playing… I think the Currie Cup should be a non-Bok competition full stop. It is a brave decision, but a good decision… Tier 3: Vodacom Cup, Tier 2: Currie Cup, Tier 1: Super Rugby.
Obviously injured Boks making a comeback is very different from Test match Boks returning from other campaigns… They are not in sync with the current synergy and dynamics of the Currie Cup squad and I believe they add no value to the team in the late stages of the competition – as it just messes up the chemistry built up before their arrival.
I understand that SARU wants the players fit and ready before the money making EOYT, but they need to have a high performance camp set up where the Bok squad get conditioned and trained within their own dynamic, and those Currie Cup players that had a stellar season can then be invited to the camp to see how they gel… Within the camp you can then have various training formats such as 20 min trials / chukkas with the squad and or have Invitational XV’s playing against Bok Squad XV’s…
Then next point is Super Rugby, I am not impressed to learn that negotiations are already under way for 2013 Super 16… SANZAR should / could select 20 teams from the three regions as Super Rugby candidates and the lowest placed team of that region can then be relegated… Thus you have promotion and relegation, then to add a dynamic; the relegated teams can form Division 2 to stay sharp and play for promotion into the next seasons Premier Division… These should not be ideals alone, this should be the format and someone with clout and common sense and strong negotiation tactics should then propose this to SANZAR – fans do not want to see 16 teams play week in week out only to know that of those 16 teams 12 (HELLO) are challengers with 4-5 of those contenders for the number one spot…
Western Force, Lions, Cheetahs and more recently Waikato Chiefs are not up to Super Rugby standards and should not be included in this format… Then add the Melbourne Rebels and The Southern Kings into the mix and you already have division 2 – more teams is not the solution… Money should not be the driving force behind everything… Melbourne Rebels are a marquee team, purchasing over the hill talent from all over the place, why not have THE SUPER Rebels and combine the lower performing teams already in the Super series to form a serious squad of southern hemisphere talent who will all be eligible for National honours based on their strong performances under the guidance of Bob Dwyer and Alan Solomons etc… These are good suggestions if I don’t say so myself… Please, lets turn this into a debate… Cheers…
24 Jul 2010, 08:59 am
@RGES(RGES)-18: Chiefs are a strange bunch, finals last year but under achievers in terms of big results, much like the Sharks.
I honestly believe this new format is going to turn a dynamic competition into a dud. I don’t particularly care to see the SAFFAs kill each other twice like the CCup before playing overseas.
So that will be 4 games per year against SA teams… which is not ideal. At least with the King and Lions the other 3 are guaranteed 10 points away from home.
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