Southern Kings franchise an 'unmitigated disaster' that could tear South Africa apart

The Kings franchise last played in the 2013 Super Rugby season. Photo / Getty

The Southern Kings franchise is being described as an "unmitigated disaster" as it struggles to put a side together for the new Super Rugby season, which kicks off in 10 weeks time.

Tony McKeever, who headed a previous incarnation of the embattled Kings franchise, also claimed this week that the province's financial and administration crisis "will tear rugby apart across South Africa" and said the turmoil involved a racial divide.

The Kings - part of an expanded 18-team Super Rugby competition next year along with new franchises in Japan and Argentina - are in a mess with players detailing financial and personal hardships after months of failing to be paid and threatening strike action. A supporters club has even opened up a charity appeal to aid them.

The South African Rugby Union has taken over the team and reports suggest some of the current squad members will be replaced.

McKeever, who headed up the failed Southern Spears 10 years ago, said the latest incarnation of an Eastern Province Super team was being wrecked by "mal-administration and financial mismanagement". He told the SABC TV that decent management could get the team up and running very quickly but it was currently in the hands of a "rogues gallery".

News footage of police attending scuffles between security staff and members of a Rugby Transformation Coalition outside the union offices in Port Elizabeth has added to the image of a game in chaos. Players led by Kevin Luiters and Ronnie Cooke were delivering a petition of demands to EPRU president Cheeky Watson when the push and shove broke out.

Reports suggest 22 of the players will be offered new contracts but McKeever claimed this exposed a racial division.

"I do know the black players in Port Elizabeth are standing firm en masse and are refusing to sign," he said.

"A number of the white players have been coerced into signing...it is a ridiculous situation."
He accused SARU and the South African Rugby Players Association of using a "divide and conquer" approach.

"There is a rogue element within SARPA blackmailing the players right now," he claimed.

McKeever said the Kings had tried to resolve the crisis by shutting the doors of their offices and opening up a new entity "100 metres away".

McKeever said: "The situation has spiralled out of control. You don't padlock your gates and lock your players out. You don't put armed guards outside the boardroom doors.

"...the current CEO of EP Rugby (Charl Crous) has walked out of his office, walked across 100m into the stadium and left behind an absolute disaster.

"Players are devastated, families are devastated... thinking that they can open up a new office with a new entity just across the road. You just can't do that.

"There are sponsors who will respond with serious money but they won't make that investment with the chaos and mayhem."

Luiters said he was among the players offered a contract.

"I was a bit surprised and overwhelmed to receive the offer," he told SARugbymag.co.za.

"It's the last thing I really expected. But I will still be adhering to the requests that we made in the petition. The needs of all the players and the greater good is what's most relevant.'

Last month new Sanzar boss Andy Marinos said he had no doubts the Kings and the new Japanese franchise - the Sunwolves - will be ready to go by mid-February.

"With the Kings and Japan it's a hell of a lot of the unknown - how are they going to adapt to the travel, to the schedule," he said.

"But in saying that I've learned one thing in rugby you can never start writing off teams before the competition gets under way and I have no doubt that any one of those teams who may not start the season off well will have a huge upset in their ranks at some stage."