Saru denies Kings request
27 Jan 2013
Saru has turned down the Southern King’s request to include five foreigners in their Super Rugby squad.
At the beginning of January, the Kings named a 40-man squad including five foreigners. Kings officials were, at that point, adamant that Saru would bend the rules and allow South Africa’s newest franchise to field all five players.
But according to Rapport, Saru has officially turned down the Kings’ request, and they will only be allowed to play two foreigners in the coming Super Rugby competition.
The foreign recruits are Tomas Leonardi and Nicolas Vergallo (both Argentina), Daniel Adongo (Kenya), Virgile Lacombe (France) and Hadleigh Parkes (New Zealand). It is believed Adongo is considering taking out South African citizenship.
Kings president Cheeky Watson said that the Eastern Cape franchise had not been officially informed about Saru’s decision.
‘If this is the case, we will accept and abide by the decision of SA Rugby. We know that the region has never been fed with a silver spoon, and have no reason to expect any different going into our debut Super Rugby season,’ Watson said.
‘The path for this region to get a Super Rugby franchise has been fraught with challenges, and yet, despite all the odds, we have overcome them and Super Rugby is a reality, with our first game against Western Force less than a month away.
‘We accept that this opportunity comes from a loaded deck of cards, but the bigger the challenge, the bigger the task, the bigger the team and the overall success.
‘We will not be releasing any of our foreign players, however, as there are still ample opportunities within our structures for them to contribute.’
303 Comments
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28 Jan 2013, 10:03 am
@NZINCHINA-228: Transie forgets about 2011, the last time our team made the semi finals… no need to live off the chiefs win, although it was awfully sweet to add yet another title to NZs coffers..
he will become another Tacitus shortly enough, once the kings prop up the table he’ll disappear as well..
all bluster, no substance is our Trans
28 Jan 2013, 10:05 am
@gunther-244: when i receive the mobile on friday…
curious aren’t we?
28 Jan 2013, 10:07 am
@the curse-249:
i thought kiwis were a form of cheap labour in oz?
pay full taxes but get buggerall state benefits?
surely it would pay to take out oz citizenship?
28 Jan 2013, 10:08 am
@the curse-249: Are you a guest worker?
28 Jan 2013, 10:09 am
@Transformation-252:
Fuckyes!
Sounds awesome.
I even googled a Yaris.
Apparently it’s also Hungarian for a vibrating sextoy.
28 Jan 2013, 10:10 am
@charo-253: shows how much you know doesnt it..
stick to berating the coloured people mate, you have a talent for that..
28 Jan 2013, 10:10 am
@nortierd-250: SA soccer sucks. SA rugby does not (well not all the time). That explains it, in a nutshell.
I can guarantee you that no Saffa “supported” the Aussie cricket team of the 90s/00s. What are you smoking?
28 Jan 2013, 10:15 am
@Chico the Chihuahua-257:
You can’t guarantee that, there’s hordes of SA Aussie Cricket fans around, they’re just not so noisy anymore.
28 Jan 2013, 10:16 am
@Chico the Chihuahua-257:
I admired them and barring when they played us, enjoyed their success. They had an awesome side.
We are close to that in our current test set up and it’s fantastic.
I enjoy watching the sport, and if a side is making for enjoyable viewing then I enjoy watching them.
Ps. Just normal cigarettes, I assure you
28 Jan 2013, 10:16 am
@stormer in a teacup-254:
Migrant labour.
28 Jan 2013, 10:18 am
@gunther-260: isnt that Maevis Gunther? or is she SA slave labour?
28 Jan 2013, 10:20 am
@the curse-251: me disappear? no such luck poeps…i know where my team are in terms of their development…no delusions from my side
28 Jan 2013, 10:21 am
Watched a programme on National Geographic about Kiwis (the bird). Apparently it originated in Australia and probably flew to NZ when it still had wings. So I assume that makes Kiwis wingless Aussies.
28 Jan 2013, 10:22 am
@the curse-261:
No Poeps Mavis is a South African citizen.
She probably earns more than you do.
28 Jan 2013, 10:23 am
@gunther-264: yeah okay
she must be one of the lucky ones who actually has a job and a roof over her head..
still, corrugated iron isnt really a roof is it?
28 Jan 2013, 10:25 am
@David-263: must feel awful being manshamed consistently by flightless aussies..
1 win in 8 games
hahahahaha
28 Jan 2013, 10:26 am
Poeps can’t become an aussie. They stopped taking on convicts and strays ages ago.
Although when Poeps heard it was a penal colony, he got mucho excitido. Images of Beau Brummel etc…
28 Jan 2013, 10:27 am
@katman-267: enjoy super rugby this year
oh wait..
still, at least you can beat Russia
‘hahahaha leeusers indeed..
28 Jan 2013, 10:27 am
@the curse-265:
You are a very silly little boy.
She is one of the lucky ones indeed.
I also have a corrugated iron roof.
Nothing beats the sound of the rain falling on it.
28 Jan 2013, 10:28 am
@Chico the Chihuahua-257: ” I can guarantee you that no Saffa
“supported” the Aussie cricket team of the
90s/00s. What are you smoking?”
BrumbiesBoy supported Aus then and still does.
28 Jan 2013, 10:28 am
the Lions
so bad, SARU had to kick them out of the comp
hahahaha
like their supporters, all mouth
hahaha
still, it is SA rugby, we all know how useless they are..
28 Jan 2013, 10:28 am
@the curse-268: I see that will be your standard “dig” for the next 12 months. Ever so creative.
Ja-nee, you cut me deep.
28 Jan 2013, 10:31 am
@katman-272 yawn..
yep, but good to see it doesnt worry you, must beat getting the wooden spoon every year though
something to look forward to for a change huh? ..
28 Jan 2013, 10:33 am
There is an important difference between support & admiration (& there is nothing wrong with admiring something foreign).
But there is something incongruous (I’ll avoid using stronger terminology) about a local person supporting a foreign club/franchise/nation rather than his own.
PS: I however have no compunction supporting a foreign entity where my own is not participating, e.g. I support Italy in European Championship football & in WC football where Bafana is not participating, or it may have been eliminated. I do so, coz one of my best mates is Italian & we often watch the big European/World tournaments together, & it keeps the interest & excitement alive when one actively supports a participating team.
At the end of the day, sport from a spectator’s point of view, is entertainment – yet, with me, & I guess with most others, feelings of historical loyalty & patriotism remain strong … probably decisive.
Go Bokke
Go Sharks
Go Kings
Go Cheetahs
Thereafter ANY local vs. foreign franchise
{in that order}
28 Jan 2013, 10:37 am
@Angostura-274:
Go Bokke
Go Stormers
Go whichever team I picked for Superbru for that 80 minutes:-)
28 Jan 2013, 10:43 am
@nortierd-275:
O, JA, I forgot about THAT!
28 Jan 2013, 10:44 am
Firstly – this was never SARU’s decision to agree to or to deny the Kings request – it is SANZAR that needs to approve/disapprove such a request
Secondly – this increase in 2 foreign players was never ever going to happen – you don’t change the rule book in mid competition
Thirdly – this is no big deal to the Southern Kings – they will acquit themselves well in Super XV
Roll on the 23 February Saturday game against the Force.
28 Jan 2013, 10:44 am
@nortierd-250: HG will be along sharpish to tell you that the Crusaders will never be ‘your team – even your 2nd one’, no matter how much you want it to be so.
And that’s rather richy rich coming from a Rhodesian who supports the Boks and Guppies with such va-va vooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom and booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom.
I’m with you on this. No-one can accuse me of being anything other than loyal to the Boks and the Stormers….but as for supporting other franchises in a PROVINCIAL (not national) competition JUST because they happen to be Saffas – bollocksandbuttocks. I don’t like any of them, and I don’t care if they lose. The end. (Cheetahs and Kings can win a few….if they are able)
28 Jan 2013, 10:48 am
@Angostura-274: In a provincial competition (where it is BETTER for my team in any event if the local teams lose as much as possible….) there is no way I give a ratstesticle about the other Saffa teams.
Stormers and Blues – the end.
(If folk are honest….they will admit this to be true
Like you’re really going to cheer for the Bulls (when they are 1 point behind the guppies on the leader board) to beat the Reds? Really?)
28 Jan 2013, 10:50 am
@Gordon Gekko-277:
Hear, hear
28 Jan 2013, 10:52 am
@Angostura-274: yeah!
Go Bokke
Go Kings
28 Jan 2013, 10:53 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-279:
Quite right.
I cheer for anyone but the Stormers.
28 Jan 2013, 10:55 am
@gunther-282: The way it should be
28 Jan 2013, 11:02 am
@Gordon Gekko-277: firstly, just to correct you. this indeed is SARU’s juristiction & not SANZAR!
The ARU unilaterally allowed the Rebels to have 10 international players in their team while all the other Aussie franchises are only allowed 1 big name star player & one ‘development’ player that can be a Wallaby in future.
it is SARU’s decision to make.
cheers.
28 Jan 2013, 11:04 am
Bokke
Stormers
Cheetahs
Sharks
Bulls
Faark the kings
If the sharks are one point behind the bulls and the bulls play the reds, tough **** sharks cause they in that position of their own accord, I still shout for the bulls!
28 Jan 2013, 11:07 am
Petty provincial jealousy by some here is quite pathetic. I don’t hate the sharks cause hg is a doos.
28 Jan 2013, 11:12 am
So what happens now to the three foreigners not in the squad? Do they get deported, like the Poms did to the Saffa flank when his contract ended?
28 Jan 2013, 11:13 am
@katman-287:
They will be pruning Sheeky’s roses.
28 Jan 2013, 11:15 am
@gunther-255: A Hungarian gigolo named Yaris?
28 Jan 2013, 11:16 am
@gunther-288: That sounds like a filthy euphemism. Do his roses need pruning in the same car park as Div’s?
28 Jan 2013, 11:19 am
@katman-290:
This won’t end well.
Mark my words.
28 Jan 2013, 11:23 am
@gunther-291: Perhaps not, but who cares when you’re going for gold at the Cheeky Flower Show?
28 Jan 2013, 11:24 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-289:
No angel.
A rubber **** like the one you keep in your sock drawer.
@katman-292:
He’s guaranteed a medal on the shrinking violet category.
28 Jan 2013, 11:40 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-279:
You make a valid point, & I’ll concede that there are tactical exceptions to my strategic rule that “local is lekker”.
But I’ll tell you what is really important to me, much more so than the fortunes of the Sharks, the Kings & the Cheetahs individually, & that is the health of SA Rugby overall (please note, not just Bok rugby).
I believe a good indication of SA Rugby HEALTH is when we observe the following symptoms:
1. WP rugby is strong
2. Tvl rugby is strong
3. N-Tvl rugby is strong
4. FS rugby is competitive
5. KZN rugby is competitive
6. EC rugby is competitive
7. Griquas rugby is competitive.
The above is what I’d like to see (& we have not seen it for ages!). I’ support the Sharks in S15/CC, but in the interests of SA Rugby I don’t mind the Stormers, the Bulls & the Lions being better than the Sharks. Those are the powerhouses of SA Rugby, & it is the way it should be given their rugby tradition/history, clubs, players & wealth.
Given this hypothesis, I cannot understand how genuine SA rugby lovers do not care about the state of rugby in the Tvl, FS, Griquas & especially the EC. Resources & sound policies should be applied to restore Tvl to its former glory, & the FS, Griquas & E-Cape to their traditional levels of competitiveness.
And in the Tvl AND the E-Cape the need is the greatest.
{KZN can take care of themselves, & are now consistently performing way beyond the historical norm for this region – Tvl, FS, Griquas & E-Cape can all learn from the Sharks … hmmm: perhaps I’m unfair to Griquas? perhaps they are already performing to potential?}
I simply cannot believe what I read here & in other blogs/publications – that the majority of (presumably white?) SA rugby fans are actively willing the Kings to failure (even against foreign teams!) with a passion bordering on fanaticism/hatred.
It is shocking.
It is entirely selfish.
It short-sighted & not in SA Rugby’s best interests.
It is ugly.
Both the Kings & the Lions are very important to SA Rugby – and ways must be found to restore rugby health in their feeder areas.
The common good, not the sectarian good, should be paramount.
28 Jan 2013, 12:05 pm
SARU are an embarrassment. The only fukkup they haven’t managed is to have the World Cup taken off them.
28 Jan 2013, 12:13 pm
June 26 2012
IT is time for the ARU to change their
rules on the amount of foreign imports
allowed each franchise.
The dilapidated state of the Western Force
makes it clear that Australia does not
have enough talent to sustain five
competitive teams in Super Rugby.
The Melbourne Rebels are allowed 10
international imports</bbut have raided
rival provinces to poach James O'Connor,
Kurtley Beale and Scott Higginbotham in
the past 18 months.
Their unused foreign import spots should
surely be given to the franchises affected
by local talent losses.
It is surprising to learn that none of the
franchises have officially made this
request to the ARU. While the Rebels'
foreign player quota will decrease over
the coming years, it is of no consolation
to the remaining Australian teams who
can hire just one marquee international,
and one emerging overseas player who
could develop into a Wallaby after a
three-year residency.
28 Jan 2013, 13:02 pm
@David-263: Cut the wings off to stop them going back did they?
Ah-ha, now we know where the poaching started!
28 Jan 2013, 13:04 pm
@katman-267:
28 Jan 2013, 13:08 pm
“‘If this is the case, we will accept and abide by the decision of SA Rugby. We know that the region has never been fed with a silver spoon, and have no reason to expect any different going into our debut Super Rugby season,’ Watson said”
What a load of kak. How did you get into S15 this year………..Thats as silver spoon as it gets
28 Jan 2013, 13:10 pm
@Transformation-270: At least you got that one right.
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