The Eastern Cape franchise signed five overseas players – three more than what is allowed – in the hope than SARU will give them some leeway. They will play in the Super Rugby competition this year at the expense of the Johannesburg-based Lions.
Cheeky Watson Kings president have confident that they will be allowed to field more overseas players than the four other South African franchises.
“All that I am willing to say is that we are still busy talking to various role players,” he told Die Burger’s website.
The Southern Kings who are from the Cape Town still hoping that SA Rugby Union (SARU) will permission them to field more than the allowed number of overseas players in Super Rugby.
At the end of last year, SARU insisted that there was “no change to the status quo” of only two foreign players allowed in local Super Rugby squads.
Fullback Hadleigh Parkes, scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo, utility forward Daniel Adongo, hooker Virgil Lacombe and loose forward Tomas Leonardi are the five overseas players contracted. Recently, they were all included when the Kings announced their Super Rugby squad. However, should SARU not give in to the Kings’ commands, three of them will have to be left out and possibly demoted to the EP Kings’ Vodacom Cup side.
The Kings start their Super campaign at home against Australia’s Force on February 23.
Read also:
http://en.africatopsports.com/2013/01/11/rugby-4-tournament-team-swaps-by-saru