Kings make triple swoop
3 Oct 2012
The Kings have signed Lions hooker Bandise Maku and two internationals in Kiwi utility back Hadleigh Parkes and Argentina scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo.
Maku exits the Lions after spending two years in Johannesburg. He missed the entire 2012 Super Rugby season through injury, but made his comeback during the current Currie Cup campaign.
The 26-year-old also spent five seasons at the Bulls, while he played one Test for the Springboks, against Italy in 2010.
Director of rugby Alan Solomons believes Maku’s experience will help the Kings during their debut Super Rugby campaign next season.
‘Bandise comes with plenty experience during his time with the Lions and the Bulls,’ Solomons told keo.co.za. ‘He’s also played for the Springboks.
‘He’s a hometown boy, having gone to Dale as a schoolboy. He also represented Border at the U18 Craven Week.’
Solomons added that the recruitment of Parkes and Vergallo will give the Kings’ squad some much-needed international pedigree.
‘Hadleigh has played for the Blues in Super Rugby and captained Auckland in the New Zealand Cup,’ said Solomons. ‘His ability to play centre, wing and fullback creates depth in the backline.
‘Nicolas is also an experienced scrumhalf for the Pumas. They’ve rotated their No 9s during the Rugby Championship, and both of them have performed really well on the Test stage. Nicolas also boasts some European club experience as he joins us from French Top 14 champions Toulouse.
‘We struggled to sign South African players with international experience because of the late announcement in August. But we are hoping guys like Hadleigh and Nicolas can add value in this regard.’
Meanwhile, the Kings are yet to hear a reply from Saru with regards to their request to lift the restrictions of the foreign player rule. According to current regulations, South African franchises may only field a maximum of two internationals.
However, Kings president Cheeky Watson is confident that their request will be accepted.
‘We are not sure whether we will be allowed to field as many as six internationals, but we haven’t received any rejections yet,’ Watson told this site.
By Gareth Duncan
66 Comments
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4 Oct 2012, 13:30 pm
@Skeppie-48: The country’s biggest city also has the lowest crowd attendance in Super Rugby.
This break will do the Lions good.
CC Champions in 2011 and 2012
4 Oct 2012, 13:32 pm
@WP-Forever-49: Pretoria and Johannesburg are not the same cities.
4 Oct 2012, 13:33 pm
@willievz-51: I agree with you on that and I am not pro lions or pro kings I just think the country needs JHB to have a team eventually (again). It cannot be god for the game of rugby in SA to not have a top team in your biggest city
4 Oct 2012, 13:34 pm
@Skeppie-52:
As far as I’m concerned, it is now one city – a single, contiguous, built-up urban area.
4 Oct 2012, 13:36 pm
@WP-Forever-54: \
sprawl.
4 Oct 2012, 13:37 pm
@Transformation-47: It’s not just about that but the region (and it’s sporting union as well) is a perfect example of political interference being detrimental to the system as a whole.
Everyone in the EC (yourself included) seem to hold this view that many of it’s favorite sporting sons will come home as soon as the region gets a Super Rugby team.
The fact is, Morne Steyn grew up here but plays his rugby in Pretoria and he ain’t never coming “home” (at least not in a sporting sense).
The same for the majority of the EC bred players who have found fame, fortune and (most importantly) security elsewhere.
I’d be surprised if most of them were not only too grateful to be given a chance at a way out to be honest.
No one expects the Kings experiment to last longer than next season, so very few players will even consider committing to such a gamble. For the record I think that SARU compounded the wrong when, after committing to the Kings (which i believe they should not have done) they only gave them 1 year, with playoffs to follow. 2 wrongs, on top of each other.
Oh and while we are on the subject of the Lions, I fee;l the same about them and players moving to the GLRU, at least with any long term expectation.
4 Oct 2012, 13:37 pm
@gunther-55:
Yes. Almost like Parklands.
4 Oct 2012, 13:46 pm
@Skeppie-48: SARU runs ALL the rugby UNIONS and not only the ones in the biggest cities…
the Lions messed up their own finances, which is funny enough, the reason the southern spears lost the franchise bidding in 2004/5, now we’ve sorted our mess and the shoe is on the other foot, yet some people like yourself tend to make excuses for the GLRU.
4 Oct 2012, 13:53 pm
@WP-Forever-57:
where is parklands?
4 Oct 2012, 13:55 pm
@stormersboy-56: hahaha “Everyone in the EC (yourself included)” assumptions are a b.itch.
where have i ever expressed such a notion?
“the bring them home” idea is part of the marketing strategy of the Kings, it has worked to an extent when you consider than Rory, Tiger, Nokwe, Killian – all of them long in the tooth maybe – came back… this is about bringing pride back to South Eastern Cape rugby and getting the kids who are in our schools system excited and not want to leave – Sergeal Pietersen is an example, highly rated, the Bulls were seeking to sign him big time, he is now at the Kings Academy for the next 3 years…
your literal interpretation of the notion…………………..well let me stop here
4 Oct 2012, 13:59 pm
@stormersboy-56:
you don’t understand the dynamic.
4 Oct 2012, 14:04 pm
@gunther-61: there’s no “dynamic” in this case, fortunately
4 Oct 2012, 14:05 pm
hahaha.
I told you.
bladddy agent.
4 Oct 2012, 14:25 pm
@Transformation-60: Plenty.
And i understand the dynamic fine.
I just don’t see it the same as you.
@gunther-61: Call me Bond. James Bond.
4 Oct 2012, 14:27 pm
Well this thing is done and dusted about who plays Super Rugby and who does not, the biggest question is are the Lions even going to get the relegation match next year – has it been voted on.The Kings have to produce and I don’t believe SARU should allow them to hire more than the allocated amount of foreign players.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
The Lions have still a mountain to climb if they want to stay competitive, it will not be easy for them but I think they were a lot smarter on the loan system they are going to make money from their players.
I read that Maku denies signing with the Kings on his twitter account, so the plot thickens.
4 Oct 2012, 14:28 pm
@stormersboy-64:
And Transie is Mr Big.
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