The Southern Kings were a
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
n professional
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
team that competed in
Super Rugby
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
and
Pro14
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
. They were based in
Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
in the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
province and played their home matches at
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a soccer and rugby union stadium in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa, It hosted 2010 FIFA World Cup matches and the third place play off. It is the home of Chippa United Football Club and formerly of r ...
. They were created in 2009, and had their first match against the
British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
during their
2009 tour. After competing in
Super Rugby
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
in 2013, 2016 and 2017, they joined Pro14 prior to the
2017–18 season, along with the
Cheetahs
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
.
For the 2013 season, the Kings' catchment area was made up of the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
and parts of the
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
, drawing players from 3 provincial unions: namely the , based in
Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
(representing the southern half of the Eastern Cape), the , based in
East London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
(representing the northern half of the Eastern Cape) and the , based in
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
(representing the South Western Districts). However, after the
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to World Rugby. It was established in 1992 as the South African Rugby Football Union, from the merger of the South African Rugby Board a ...
took over the running of the franchise in November 2015, the franchise had no formal ties to any of the provincial unions.
The team was disbanded in September 2020 after going into voluntary liquidation.
History
Southern Spears
In 2005, there was an attempt to bring a
Super Rugby
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
side to the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
province in the form of the
Southern Spears
The Southern Spears, were a South African rugby union franchise who were founded in 2005 and were intended to participate in Super 14 from 2007 onwards; however, their proposed entry into the competition led to considerable controversy within ...
, who were intended to participate in the
Super 14
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
from
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
onwards; however, their proposed entry into the competition led to
considerable controversy within the country's rugby establishment. In April 2006, after concerns over the team's financial stability and sporting competitiveness,
the Spears were denied entry into the
Super 14
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
.
Following this, the Southern Spears ceased to exist.
Formation and first fixtures
In January 2009,
SARU
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to World Rugby. It was established in 1992 as the South African Rugby Football Union, from the merger of the South African Rugby Board a ...
announced that a new franchise in the
Eastern Cape Province
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in 1994 ...
would be launched in June of that year to coincide with the arrival of the
British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
in Port Elizabeth for one of their midweek tour matches.
The franchise was launched with the goal of a future place in Super Rugby, but no timetable was initially set. The President of the Eastern Province Rugby Union,
Cheeky Watson
Daniel "Cheeky" Watson (born 1954) was one of the first white South African rugby union players to participate in a mixed race rugby game, during the period when mixed-race activities were forbidden by apartheid legislation.
History
Watson gre ...
, said "there is a desperate hunger for top-flight rugby in the South Eastern Cape and this is the first step to satisfying it." The franchise was officially announced in April 2009.
They played their first match against the British & Irish Lions on 16 June 2009, losing 8–20 in a midweek match in Port Elizabeth.
The team's first points were scored by
Jaco van der Westhuyzen
Jaco van der Westhuyzen (born 6 April 1978) is a South African former professional rugby union footballer who played fly-half or fullback.
Early life
Born in Groblersdal, Mpumalanga province, South Africa, van der Westhuyzen was educated at B ...
and their first try was scored by
Mpho Mbiyozo
Mpho Mbiyozo (born 7 February 1983) is a former South African rugby union player who played with and the between 2005 and 2013. He usually played as a flanker.
He is currently a coach at the ' academy, the Boland Rugby Institute, having previo ...
.
They also played in the
2011 IRB Nations Cup
The 2011 IRB Nations Cup was the sixth edition of the international rugby union tournament, a competition created by the International Rugby Board. It pits the "A" Teams of the stronger (Tier 1) rugby nations (e.g. Argentina Jaguars) against so ...
, where they participated as the South African Kings. They won all three their games, beating ,
and
on their way to winning the competition.
Super Rugby inclusion
On 19 May 2009,
Super Rugby
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
governing body
SANZAR
SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby; previously known as SANZAR) is the body which oversees Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship competitions in rugby union. SANZAAR meets annually and is composed of the CEOs from ...
announced that the existing Super 14 competition would be expanded to 15 teams from the
2011 season onwards.
The expansion would participate in the Australian Conference, but was open to tenders from all territories, with teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa expressing an interest.
This was eventually reduced to just two bidders, the
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Melbourne. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They were the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia, until 2017 ...
and the Southern Kings. On 11 November 2009, SANZAR arbitrators awarded the 15th licence to the
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Melbourne. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They were the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia, until 2017 ...
, with geographical location and commercial value swaying the decision in the Australian franchise's favour.
The
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to World Rugby. It was established in 1992 as the South African Rugby Football Union, from the merger of the South African Rugby Board a ...
were undeterred in their effort to bring Super Rugby to the Eastern Cape and on 27 January 2012, they confirmed that the Kings would participate in the
2013 Super Rugby season
The 2013 Super Rugby season was the third season of the new 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition involving teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The tournament was won by the Chiefs, who defeated the Canberra-based Brumb ...
.
Despite no initial decision as to how they will be accommodated in the competition, it was confirmed on 16 August 2012 that the Kings would take part at the expense of the .
They also announced that two-legged promotion/relegation play-off series would be played between the lowest-placed South African side in Super Rugby and the non-participating franchise every season.
2013 : Super Rugby
The Kings made their Super Rugby debut on 23 February 2013, when they played in a Round Two match against Australian side the at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The Kings won the game 22–10, with
Sergeal Petersen
Sergeal Phillipe Petersen (born 1 August 1994) is a South African rugby union player for the in Super Rugby and in the Currie Cup. His regular position is winger.
Rugby
Youth Rugby
Petersen played for the at all youth levels, representing ...
scoring two tries and
Demetri Catrakilis
Demetri Catrakilis ( gr, Δημήτρης Κατρακίλης, born on 6 July 1989) is a former South African professional rugby union player for the in the Pro14. He previously played for Premiership side Harlequins, Top 14 side in France, ...
contributing twelve points with the boot.
They lost their next two home matches to the Sharks
and the
before embarking on their tour of Australasia. They lost both their matches in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
– against the
and
respectively – but picked up log points in Australia; a try from flanker
Cornell du Preez
Cornell du Preez (born ) is a South African-born rugby union player. His regular playing positions are Flanker, No 8 and currently Back row (rugby union), loose forward, he plays for RC Toulonnais, Toulon in the Top 14 and represents Scotland na ...
three minutes into injury time and subsequent conversion from Catrakilis helped them secure a 28–all draw against eventual Australian Conference winners the in
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
and they went one better the following week, beating the 30–27, with a late
Wimpie van der Walt
Petrus Willem van der Walt (born 6 January 1989 in Brits, North West) is a South African-born Japanese rugby union player who represents at international level and is currently playing with NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes in the Japanese Top League. ...
try helping them to the win.
Upon their return to South Africa, they suffered three consecutive defeat, with the ,
and all beating the Kings.
The Kings beat the 34–27 in their next match to secure their first ever bonus point victory,
but lost their last five matches of the season, losing to the Cheetahs,
and the
before the international break, and to the Bulls,
Stormers
and Sharks
when the season resumed.
The Kings' top try scorer in the competition was Wimpie van der Walt, who got six tries and their top points scorer was Demetri Catrakilis, who scored 151 points. However, despite three victories and a draw, the Kings finished bottom of the South African Conference and had to play a two-legged
promotion/relegation play-off series against the . The Lions beat the Kings 26–19 in
Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
in the first leg,
but bounced back to emerge victorious in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
, with
Scott van Breda
Scott Alexander van Breda (born 12 December 1991) is a South African rugby union player for RFU Championship side Jersey Reds. He is a utility back, that can play as centre, full-back or winger.
Career
Early career
He played for in the 2011 ...
scoring 18 points in a 23–18 victory.
However, this was not enough to retain their Super Rugby status, as the Lions won 44–42 on aggregate to return them to Super Rugby in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
at the expense of the Kings.
2014–2015 : Hiatus from Super Rugby
After the end of the 2013 Super Rugby season, the Kings lost several players to other teams. Director of Rugby
Alan Solomons
Alan Solomons (born 31 July 1950 in Uitenhage, South Africa) is a former rugby union coach.
Law career
After studying law at the University of Cape Town, Solomons practised law for 20 years where he was a partner at Sonnenberg, Hoffmann & Galomb ...
also left to join
Edinburgh Rugby
Edinburgh Rugby (formerly Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh Gunners) is one of the two professional rugby union teams from Scotland. The club competes in the United Rugby Championship, along with the Glasgow Warriors, its oldest rival. Edinburgh play ...
and head coach
Matt Sexton later also announced that he was leaving the Kings to return to his home country
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
On 4 September 2013,
SANZAR
SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby; previously known as SANZAR) is the body which oversees Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship competitions in rugby union. SANZAAR meets annually and is composed of the CEOs from ...
boss Greg Peters confirmed that South Africa would get a sixth Super Rugby franchise from 2016, as the competition expanded once again.
This was reiterated in 2014 when SANZAR confirmed that the competition would expand to 18 teams, with teams from
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
joining the competition.
Having lost the promotion/relegation play-off to the , the Kings missed out on Super Rugby in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
. They also agreed to sit out the
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
season by withdrawing from the proposed promotion/relegation match at the end of 2014. In exchange, the were guaranteed participation in the
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring (June to October), featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier ...
competitions,
intended to aid the team's preparation for a return to Super Rugby in 2016.
Their return to Super Rugby was beset by financial problems, with players' salaries being paid late in four consecutive months between August and November 2015.
In November 2015, the
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to World Rugby. It was established in 1992 as the South African Rugby Football Union, from the merger of the South African Rugby Board a ...
took control of the Southern Kings franchise
and revealed an operational plan on 4 December 2015; the plan included the appointment of coach
Deon Davids
Deon Horace Davids (born 11 February 1968 in Victoria West, South Africa) is a South African rugby union coach, most recently the head coach of the Pro14 franchise.
Career
Davids played as a Number eight (rugby union), number eight, Flanker ...
as the head coach for 2016, the identification of a fully transformed squad that they intended signing and a guarantee to pay the Southern Kings' staff and players.
2016–2017 : Return to Super Rugby
The Kings made their return to Super Rugby on 27 February 2016, when they hosted the in Port Elizabeth. Despite a
Chris Cloete
Christopher Anthony Cloete (born 15 February 1991) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing for Bath in the Gallagher Premiership. His regular position is flanker.
Early life
Cloete grew up in East London and was included in a ...
try opening the scoring for the Kings, the visitors eventually won the match 43–8.
They lost to New Zealand side the at home despite a brace of tries by hooker
Edgar Marutlulle,
before embarking on a trip to New Zealand, where they also suffered defeats to the
and the .
They returned to South Africa to face fellow newcomers,
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
side the and got their first victory of the season, a 33–28 victory in which they scored four tries.
The Kings then suffered six consecutive defeats, losing at home to fellow South African sides the
and the ,
away to Argentine side the – a 27–73 defeat to set a new Kings record for most points conceded in a match, despite scoring four tries of their own
– an 18–34 defeat at home to New Zealand side the
and two more defeats against South African sides the
and the .
The Kings returned to winning ways in their next match, beating the Jaguares 29–22 – also securing a bonus point by virtue out scoring four tries to one, but they were aided by two red cards for the visitors
– before losing their last three matches of the season to the ,
and
respectively.
Chris Cloete
Christopher Anthony Cloete (born 15 February 1991) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing for Bath in the Gallagher Premiership. His regular position is flanker.
Early life
Cloete grew up in East London and was included in a ...
,
Edgar Marutlulle and captain
Steven Sykes were the joint-top try scorers for the Kings with four tries apiece, while fly-half
Louis Fouché was the top points scorer with 81. They finished bottom of the four teams in the Africa 2 Conference, seventh in the South African Group and 17th overall, with just the Japanese Sunwolves team finishing the season with a worse record.
The Kings started the
2017 Super Rugby season
The 2017 Super Rugby season was the 22nd season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR between teams from Argentina, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. It was the second season featuring an expand ...
on a losing note, with a 26–39 defeat to the in Port Elizabeth. They secured their first away win for four years in their next match, winning 37–23 against the in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, but followed that up by three consecutive defeats on home soil, against the , and respectively. They lost to the and in their opening two matches of their
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n tour, but bounced back by beating the 26–24 in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. They secured their highest victory margin in their next match, winning 44–3 against the in Port Elizabeth, before securing their first ever victory over South African opposition, beating the Sharks 35–32. After losing to the and the Lions in their next two matches, they secured 31–30 away wins to the and the in their next two, before ending their campaign with a 20–21 defeat to the in
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State (province), Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legisla ...
. Their record of six wins and nine losses saw them finish bottom of the Africa 2 Conference, fifth in the South African Group – ahead of local rivals the Bulls and Cheetahs – and 11th overall.
Lionel Cronjé
Lionel Cronjé (born 25 May 1989) is a South African rugby union footballer, currently playing for The Sharks in the Carling Currie Cup. He is a versatile back-line player who can operate as a fly-half or full-back.
Career
Cronjé previousl ...
topped their scoring charts, finishing on 136 points for the season, the fourth-highest in the competition, while winger
Makazole Mapimpi
Makazole Drex Mapimpi (born 26 July 1990) is a South African professional rugby union player for the South Africa national team and the in the United Rugby Championship. He usually plays as a winger and centre. He was part of the winning Spri ...
scored 11 tries, a new seasonal and all-time record for the Kings and the joint-third highest in the competition.
2017–present : Pro14 and Isuzu sponsorship
In April 2017,
SANZAAR
SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby; previously known as SANZAR) is the body which oversees Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship competitions in rugby union. SANZAAR meets annually and is composed of the CEOs from ...
announced that three clubs would be cut from
Super Rugby
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
for the
2018 Super Rugby season
The 2018 Super Rugby season was the 23rd season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR between teams from Argentina, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. After two seasons in which 18 teams participate ...
, with two of those teams coming from South Africa.
A newly established
SARU
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to World Rugby. It was established in 1992 as the South African Rugby Football Union, from the merger of the South African Rugby Board a ...
Franchise Committee was tasked with determining the two teams to drop out of Super Rugby,
and on 7 July 2017, it was confirmed that the and Kings would not participate in the competition going forward, but would "explore alternative playing opportunities in other international competitions".
On 1 August 2017, the European-based
Pro12
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
announced that the competition would expand to 14 teams – being rebranded the Pro14 – and that the Cheetahs and Kings would be the teams joining the expanded tournament from the
2017–18 season onwards.
This announcement came too late to ensure squad continuity, with more than 30 players leaving the franchise. On 15 August 2017 – a fortnight before the competition started – the Kings announced that head coach
Deon Davids
Deon Horace Davids (born 11 February 1968 in Victoria West, South Africa) is a South African rugby union coach, most recently the head coach of the Pro14 franchise.
Career
Davids played as a Number eight (rugby union), number eight, Flanker ...
extended his contract to lead the team in their Pro14 season, and also announced the first batch of player signings.
With the team having just four training sessions and no pre-season matches going into the season, they suffered a 10–57 defeat to reigning champions
Scarlets
The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup (which ...
,
before another loss to Irish side
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
.
They played their first Pro14 match on home soil the following week against
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...
, losing their third match in a row with the Irish side winning 31–10.
After another home defeat to Italian side
Zebre
Zebre Parma (, meaning "Zebras") are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season. They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by the ...
,
the Kings embarked on another tour of Europe, but was again whitewashed, losing to the
Dragons
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
,
Benetton and
Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and became t ...
.
Their results showed a slight upturn upon their return to home soil; despite losing 36–43 defeat to
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
,
the Kings picked up their first log points of the season – one for a seven-point defeat and one for scoring at least four tries – and repeated their bonus point haul in their next match, a 30–34 defeat to
Scarlets
The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup (which ...
.
The Southern Kings failed to kick on from the narrow defeats, and lost to
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
home
and away,
before another two defeats in their double-header derby matches against the , losing 21–45 in Port Elizabeth
and 24–45 in
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State (province), Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legisla ...
.
They started their three-match tour of the northern hemisphere with a 10–59 loss to
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
and continued their winless run with a 12–26 loss to the
and a record 7–64 defeat to in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
.
The Southern Kings started their run of five consecutive home matches to end the season in spectacular fashion, beating Welsh side the 45–13 to record their first ever win in the competition.
It proved to be their only victory of the season, as they finished with a narrow four consecutive losses, going down 35–36 to ,
22–39 to ,
12–45 loss to the
and 20–29 in their final match against the .
In August 2018, car manufacturer
Isuzu Motors South Africa announced a deal to sponsor the Southern Kings for the next three seasons, resulting in the team officially being rebranded as the Isuzu Southern Kings. In addition, Isuzu partnered with a consortium of black business people to purchase equity in the Southern Kings, making the team the first black-owned rugby franchise in South Africa.
On the field, the Kings started with a 16–32 defeat to
and a 22–27 defeat to the
on their early-season European tour. They returned to Port Elizabeth to suffer a 7–28 defeat to ,
but bounced back in their next match, beating Scottish side 38–28 at the
NMU Stadium
Nelson Mandela University Sports Stadium commonly referred to as Madibaz Stadium, is an athletics stadium in Protea Road, on the South Campus of Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
The stadium hosts Nelson Mandela Univers ...
.
Records and statistics
Summary of performances
The Southern Kings full playing record in all competitions are:
Final squad
The Final squad was:
Staff
The following coaching team was announced for the
2019–20 Pro14
The 2019–20 PRO14 (also known as the ''Guinness Brewery, Guinness PRO14'' for sponsorship reasons) was the nineteenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Pro14, Celtic League. It was the third season to be ...
season:
See also
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Rugby union in South Africa
Rugby union in South Africa is a highly popular team sport, along with cricket and football, and is widely played all over the country. The national team is among the strongest in the world and has been ranked in at least the top seven of the ...
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Super Rugby
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
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Pro14
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
*
Border Bulldogs
The Border Bulldogs is a South African professional rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup competitions. They are governed by the Border Rugby Union (BRU) and are based in East London.
History
The Border Rug ...
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Eastern Province Elephants
The Eastern Province Elephants (known as the Multisure Eastern Province Elephants for sponsorship reasons) are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Rugby Challenge competitions. They are governed by the ...
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SWD Eagles
The South Western Districts Eagles are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournament. They represent the Southern Cape (Garden Route & Klein Karoo regions) and play out of Outeniqua Park i ...
References
External links
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Official Facebook pageOfficial Twitter account
{{Portal bar, Sports, South Africa
Super Rugby teams
South African rugby union teams
Rugby clubs established in 2009
United Rugby Championship teams
Rugby union clubs disestablished in 2020
2020 disestablishments in South Africa