Kings tried to sign Mujati
27 Nov 2012
Kings president Cheeky Watson confirmed that the franchise wanted to sign former Springbok prop Brian Mujati.
Mujati is currently based in England with the Northampton Saints, where he’s been playing since 2009 after stints with the Lions and Stormers in Super Rugby.
Reports up north state that the Zimbabwean-born front-rower will head to French club Racing Metro after the European season.
Springbok head coach Heyneke Meyer wanted to pick Mujati during the team’s end-of-year tour to Europe, but the South African government disallowed the selection. It’s believed that the 28-year-old must be based in South Africa to qualify for national residency – like loosehead prop Beast Mtawarira, who was also born in Zimbabwe.
Meyer then called up Leinster prop Heinke van der Merwe instead.
The Kings wanted to offer Mujati the opportunity to return to South Africa, but his services would’ve come too late.
‘His current contract only ends in May, and that’s halfway into Super Rugby,’ Waston told keo.co.za. ‘We saw him as a possible player to recruit, but unfortunately, things didn’t work out.’
Watson added that the Kings were still waiting for Saru’s decision on their second appeal to lift the foreign player rule, which states that South African franchises may only include two internationals in their final Super Rugby squads.
The Kings have already signed New Zealand utility back Hadleigh Parkes from the Blues and Argentine scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo from Toulouse. Former Highlanders prop Clint Newland and Samoan speedster Paul Perez, who played for the EP Kings in this year’s Currie Cup First Division, have been released.
It’s believed that more foreign players could join the Kings squad, if they receive clearance from Saru.
By Gareth Duncan
22 Comments
27 Nov 2012, 14:17 pm
RT @keocoza: Kings tried to sign Mujati: Kings president Cheeky Watson confirmed that the franchise wanted to sign former … http://t.c …
27 Nov 2012, 14:32 pm
RT @keocoza: Kings tried to sign Mujati: Kings president Cheeky Watson confirmed that the franchise wanted to sign former … http://t.c …
27 Nov 2012, 14:34 pm
RT @keocoza: Kings tried to sign Mujati: Kings president Cheeky Watson confirmed that the franchise wanted to sign former … http://t.c …
27 Nov 2012, 14:45 pm
@keocoza the kings have tried to sign every and anybody that could kick a rugby ball
27 Nov 2012, 15:09 pm
what pity ! need this oke…
27 Nov 2012, 15:13 pm
Not enough black players in this team,Cheeky has egg on his face!
27 Nov 2012, 15:28 pm
RT @keocoza: Kings tried to sign Mujati: Kings president Cheeky Watson confirmed that the franchise wanted to sign former … http://t.c …
27 Nov 2012, 17:55 pm
Seriously doubt they can compete financially with a French club
27 Nov 2012, 18:42 pm
Sorry, we don’t need Mujati
We don’t need “Flags of Convenience” – that’s a slap in the face of patriotic Saffa rugby players of all races.
Tis different, however,with foreign players aspiring to be Bokke AND committing to South Africa – players like The Beast.
27 Nov 2012, 18:47 pm
Nothing about the new kiwi signed as back line coach? What’s going to happen with David Maidza? No suprise I guess.
27 Nov 2012, 18:54 pm
@Tuna-5:
Maidza is backline coach of the EP Kings Vodacom Cup squad.
27 Nov 2012, 18:57 pm
@Angostura-6: Yes… but wasn’t he slated to be the backline coach for the S15?
27 Nov 2012, 19:07 pm
@Tuna-7:
Well, I guess every new head coach would like to shape his own coaching team.
Besides, I guess Saffa rugby franchises can all learn a thing or two from Kiwi coaches about backline play … view it as an investment in the future.
27 Nov 2012, 19:54 pm
mujati could have been a great addition
still unclear why he left wp, guess they had alot of solid youngsters coming through
27 Nov 2012, 21:36 pm
All this unsuccessful interest in Mujati must be doing wonders for his perceived market value.
27 Nov 2012, 22:35 pm
From what I have seen from a bit of research, the Southern Kings are not going to use any players from Border or SWD, which is a huge slap in the face.
They are recruiting a lot of loan players from the Leopards and some others smaller unions and getting players like Odongo the big Kenyan former Bulls loose forward and also Burton Francis.
28 Nov 2012, 04:52 am
@daydreamer-11:
Is Burton Frances is not playing for SWD?
28 Nov 2012, 07:11 am
Depending on what SARU decides on 5 Dec about increasing the Southern Kings foreign player contingent from 2 to 4 players, the Kings final Super XV squad may look something like this:
SOUTHERN KINGS – 2013 SUPER XV SQUAD
1st XV:
15. SP Marais
14. Norman Nelson
13. Waylon Murray
12. Andries Strauss
11. Marcello Sampson
10. Demetri Catrakilis
9. Nicolas Vergallo (Arg.)
8. Luke Watson
7. Tomas Leonardi (Arg.)
6. Cornel du Preez
5. David Bulbring
4. Steven Sykes
3. Ross Geldenhuys
2. Bandise Maku
1. Schalk Ferreira
**
Replacements:
16. Lizo Nqoboka
17. Edgar Marutlulle
18. Charl du Plessis
19. Darron Nel
20. Shaun Venter
21. Burton Francis
22. Tiger Mangweni
**
Balance of Squad:
23. Hannes Franklin
24. Jaco Engels
25. Reynier Bernardo
26. Devin Oosthuisen
27. Mpho Mbiyiso
28. Scott Mathie
29. George Whitehead
30. Hadleigh Parkes (NZ)
31. Ronnie Cooke
32. Michael Killian
**
This (assumed) squad has only one player from SWD, Burton Francis, & none from the Border. There is nothing sinister about that, given the recent relative performance of the feeder Unions constituting the Southern Kings.
What one can be sure of is that the Southern Kings run-on XV will differ greatly from the run-on XVs in both the recent Currie Cup promotion/relegation playoff mathes – so don’t let the Currie Cup playoffs cloud your perception, or be a source of schadenfreude.
Notwithstanding, The Kings will likely be involved in an almighty battle with the Force, Rebels, Blues & Cheetahs in order to avoid the Super XV wooden spoon. Super XV history suggests they may very well end up the wooden spoonists, (but they may conceivably, though not realistically, avoid that fate, & THAT will in itself be a victory). Fact is, whether they end up 13th, 14th or last on the Super XV log, it is difficult to see them avoiding ending up wooden spoonists in the South African Conference, with the result that they will probably be involved in two Super XV promotion/relegation mathces vs The Lions. This brace of contests will be their real contest of 2013. They are NOT automatic losers of that contest. The Lions will be a greatly weakened franchise come the playoffs, & their returning loan players’ hearts & loyalties may very well lie elsewhere… The Kings prospects of winning the playoffs depend on what they learn & internalise from their Super XV experience, & the extent to which this collection of mostly veteran, or unwanted or fringe players can be revitalised & gel into a Band of Merry Men prepared to fight for one another & a greater cause. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the Southern Kings may become the new Brumbies.
I think Cheeky Watson, the Southern Kings franchise & their coaching/leadership staff are going about it the right way: They have been guaranteed one year only! From their perspective they have no choice but to think short term (at this stage). From their perspective they simply have to recruit the best staff & best players they possibly can, & be the best they can in 2013, which implies avoiding the 2013 Super XV promotion/relegation playoffs, alternatively being successful in those playoffs. Without that it is impossible for them to give fruition to their stated aims of developing, retaining & fast tracking the rugby talent, especially the largely untapped black talent, that exists in the Southern- & Eastern Cape & Border regions.
I wish them well – this is exciting & for the good of SA Rugby, & in doing so I do not wish The Lions ill – 2013 will ensure this: the most deserving franchise (of the 2 contesting the playoffs) would have earned the right to participate in the 2014 Super XV, & in the process it will probably have banished complacency from SA Rugby.
28 Nov 2012, 07:27 am
@Angostura-13: Don’t forget that the Brumbies were built up from scratch. Like it or not this union is well over 100 years old and have not won a thing in all those years, so to try and compare them to a team like the Brumbies is wishful thinking IMO.
28 Nov 2012, 09:27 am
@Angostura-13:
Great post
28 Nov 2012, 16:02 pm
SO typically SA tenderpreneurial. Effectively the Kings are a front team. A tiny sprinkling of local black players and coaches except in the money positions then its the connected few “cadres” and their family. The rest are rugby mercenaries who will ply their trade wherever they get an offer, including Mujati. If one wants to see SA teams dominating the S15 and Bok rugby the world, SARU should be focussed on centrally contracting and improving the playing abilities of a core of SA players and coaches. I don’t see sideshows like the Kings helping SA rusgby.
28 Nov 2012, 16:18 pm
@husky-16: A new port-of-call for the gravy train to stop at, I say.
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