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'It is our last resort' - SA Rugby takes interim management control of Southern Kings

Howard Mnisi, Southern Kings

South Africa Rugby have assumed management control of the Isuzu Southern Kings in what they have described as their ‘last resort’ in an attempt to save the franchise. In a short statement, SA Rugby confirmed that they have taken back a 74% shareholding from the Greatest Rugby Company in the Whole Wide World (GRC).

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GRC had acquired a 74% shareholding in the franchise in January 2019, with minority shareholder EPRU retaining a 26% shareholding.

However, SA Rugby said they have been forced to take action after GRC failed to meet the financial commitments relating to the acquisition.

SA Rugby added that all staff and players of the franchise have been retained, with Rassie Erasmus, South Africa’s director of rugby, liaising with Kings director of rugby and interim coach, Robbie Kempson, on immediate team needs.

“I cannot stress enough how reluctant we are to resume control of the Isuzu Southern Kings,” said Mr Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby.

“It is our last resort and we are keen to explore ways to return to the shareholding to another’s hands, in conjunction with the EPRU, the minority shareholder, who have given the required approval to the decision.

“The next step is to appoint a new board to oversee the franchise’s affairs and ensure the team is match ready for when we are able to resume playing.”

SA Rugby has appointed a finance team to work with franchise administrators on ensuring salary payments are made and business needs are addressed.

The decision ensures the Isuzu Southern Kings will participate in PRO14, as well as any other competitions that may be established within the constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

“This was a decision we took with extreme reluctance and after allowing GRC considerable lee-way in which to meet the contractual commitments they made on the acquisition of the shareholding,” said Mr Alexander.

“We appreciated the vision and intentions of the GRC but unfortunately we are operating in an unforgiving business environment.”

SA Rugby previously stepped in to help the franchise in November 2015, taking control of the Kings when EPRU ran into financial trouble.

A decision on whether an administrator needed to be additionally appointed is due to be taken in the coming days.

The Kings currently sit rock bottom of Conference B of the Pro14, having won only one of their 13 fixtures before the competition was suspended in March.

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    NH 1 hour ago
    'The Wallabies need to convert much better - or Melbourne could be much worse'

    Nice one as always Brett. I think the stats hide a bit of the dominance the lions had, and they would look alot worse in that first half when the game was more in the balance. You mention it here but I think it hasn’t been talked about enough was the lineout. The few times the wallabies managed to exit their half and get an opportunity to attack in the 1st half, the lineout was lost. This was huge in terms of lions keeping momentum and getting another chance to attack, rather than the wallabies getting their chance and to properly ‘exit’ their half. The other one you touch on re “the will jordan bounce of the ball” - is kick chase/receipt. I thought that the wallabies kicked relatively well (although were beaten in this area - Tom L rubbish penalty kicks for touch!), but our kick receipt and chase wasn’t good enough jorgenson try aside. In the 1st half there was a moment where russell kicked for a 50:22 and potter fumbled it into touch after been caught out of position, lynagh makes a similar kick off 1st phase soon after and keenan is good enough to predict the kick, catch it at his bootlaces and put a kick in. That kick happened to go out on the full but it was a demonstration on the difference in positioning etc. This meant that almost every contested kick that was spilled went the way of the lions, thats no accident, that is a better chase, more urgency, more players in the area. Wallabies need to be better in who fields their kicks getting maxy and wright under most of them and Lynagh under less, and the chase needs to be the responsibility of not just one winger but a whole group of players who pressure not just the catch but the tackle, ruck and following phase.

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    JW 1 hour ago
    Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

    Thanks for the further background to player welfare metrics Nick.


    Back on the last article I noted that WR is now dedicating a whole section in their six-point business plan to this topic. It also noted that studies indicated 85-90% of workload falls outside of playing. So in respect to your point on the classification of ‘involvements’ included even subs with a low volume of minutes, it actually goes further, to the wider group of players that train as if they’re going to be required to start on the weekend, even if they’re outside the 23. That makes even the 30-35 game borderline pale into insignificance.


    No doubt it is won of the main reasons why France has a quota on the number of one clubs players in their International camps, and rotate in other clubs players through the week. The number of ‘invisible’ games against a player suggests the FFRs 25 game limit as more appropriate?


    So if we take it at face value that Galthie and the FFR have got it right, only a dozen players from the last 60 international caps should have gone on this tour. More players from the ‘Scotland 23’ than the more recent 23.


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