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Southern Kings could join a Super 16 in 2013

TRF_Cymro

Cymro The White
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South Africa's sixth Super rugby franchise the Southern Kings looks set to play in Super Rugby from 2013.

Reports suggest that the Super 15 - which kicks off in 2011 - will expand again in 2013 to a Super 16.

The timing is a little odd as 2013 is a British and Irish Lions tour year and they will tour Australia - possibly forcing the Super 15 to be shortened.

There has been much speculation that the Southern Kings would be included in the Super15 but at the expense of another Super14/15 franchise such as the Lions or Cheetahs but in a Super 16 this would not happen as the tournament would expand again.

According to Sport24 the Southern Kings will become the sixth South African franchise after the proposal by South Africa at a SANZAR meeting had been accepted in principle by New Zealand and Australia.

http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=26520
 
Well, they're itching for it there, aren't they? They put a side out against the lions and from what I've read have invested a lot of money to get the region promoted. I can't see anything wrong with expanding to 16 teams from 15 (makes more mathematical sense to me, but whatever).
 
Well, they're itching for it there, aren't they? They put a side out against the lions and from what I've read have invested a lot of money to get the region promoted. I can't see anything wrong with expanding to 16 teams from 15 (makes more mathematical sense to me, but whatever).

Besides the fact that South Africa doesn't have the depth for the teams they have at the moment.. They have put all their top players in 3 teams and have left the rest to rot. The Lions had went -300 odd in points differential this year, noone outside of South Africa wants to pay money to see them play. Adding another team would just mean that the existing player base is spread even thinner still. laaame.
 
Besides the fact that South Africa doesn't have the depth for the teams they have at the moment.. They have put all their top players in 3 teams and have left the rest to rot. The Lions had went -300 odd in points differential this year, noone outside of South Africa wants to pay money to see them play. Adding another team would just mean that the existing player base is spread even thinner still. laaame.

Sorry to say it, but I agree 100%

The South African two teams did so well in the Super 14 because they were stacked with between them, all the form players in South Africa, with the Sharks having the remainding underform players. The Cheetah's were below average and the Lions were embarrasing. South Africa just doesn't have the depth for that many teams, especially if they don't share out the top players from the Bulls, Stormers and Sharks.

If South Africa have a team that can perform better than the Lions, they should have put that team up instead of simply contracted those players to the Lions, much like HB does with the Highlanders.
 
How would the playoffs and home and away work then?. The way Super 15 is set up, future expansion needs 3 teams, one in each conference, though only the southern kings and possibly an argentinian team have potential to take off. NZ has the depth, but a lack of economic might to set up another team.
 
What a rubbish idea. South Africa have already got a redundant franchise in the Cats (can't call them the Lions, sorry), why are they looking to expand further when they can't cope with the 5 they've got?
 
Southern Kings.

Weren't they the ones who decided to kick the crap out of the Lions. Looked like a team that arse McRae would have fitted in with nicely
 
Personally I would love to see the Kings in a super series. The Eastern Province has been without a franchise for too long and their players always leave looking to get contracts with the bigger unions. They have the stadiums, the people love their rugby but it will take a lot of work.

I'm not sure about a lopsided conference system but then again I'm not overly keen on the whole idea of conferences to begin with so, meh. If it needs to be at the expense of the Lions then so be it as that union looks unable to deal with core problems. They can't even beat the bloody Griquas in the Currie cup. Bulls are there to represent that part of the country anyway although it would feel strange not to have representation for the largest SA city.. well PE i the 3rd biggest in SA so that doesn't seem to be an issue.

A for player depth, they would probably have to make big gestures towards overseas based players and start investing in some young blood asap. 2012/2013 is still a way off but if I had to put together a team now to prepare with some invitationals etc. it would probably look like this:

1 Daan Human (france) or Tendai Mtawarira (seeing limited gametime at the Sharks)
2 Schalk Brits (england) or Chiliboy Ralepelle (no gametime at the Bulls but a talented player)
3 Brian Mujati (england)
4 Wayne van Heerden (japan) or Marco Wentzel (england)
5 Shaun Sowerby (france)
6 Mpho Mbiyozo (SA 7s but had a good game against the B&I lions)
7 Joe van Niekerk (france)
8 Ernst Joubert (england)
9 Niel de Kock, Francois Hougaard, Conrad Hoffman, Jano Vermaak, Heini Adams (erm)
10 Ruan Pienaar (ireland)
11 Anyone of a million talented black wingers
12 Frans Steyn (france)
13 Juan de Jongh (WP just has too many talented centres)
14 Mzwandile Stick (SA 7s)
15 Tiger Mangweni (signed)

16 Wian du Preez (Ireland)
17 Siya Kolisi
18 Lungelo Payi
19 Sam Mabombo
20 Loui Schreuder
21 Johan Goosen
22 Craig Barry
.. to develop young blood looking at 2013
 
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Yep, that was them. Mainly it was De Wet Barry (ex springbok and current captain) who dished out the pain. Lions had the last laugh but the Kings were at leat competative. Unlike the Lions.. (GLRU that is)
 
Another team? NO NO NO! If there is going to be a new franchise, it should be a replacement for the Lions and it should definitely be based outside of Gauteng. SK is from PE, which is a region with a lot of potential. I don't see the need for a sixth Super Rugby franchise in SA. Like stated here earlier the Lions are a disgrace for Super Rugby (Sorry, Lions-fans) and I think there should be a relegation/promotion structure. That way, the team ending last will be replaced by the best non-Super Rugby team from that same country.

In this case it would mean the Lions being replaced by the Griquas. I know this is difficult to arrange with the whole structure at the moment, but it would be better than adding yet another team while the Lions, and the Cheetahs on occasion, cannot perform the way you would expect from a Super Franchise.
 
Meh ... SA needs to look after its current franchises first.
 
I can think of one team that could be converted into a successful franchise. Good CC team, decent facilities, ignored by the mainstream press and with an unbelievably talented squad.
 
I can think of one team that could be converted into a successful franchise. Good CC team, decent facilities, ignored by the mainstream press and with an unbelievably talented squad.

Which is? Please don't say Pumas ;)
 
I reckon you will have a 16th team in Super rugby soon, most likely an Argentina team as I read that they might join the tri nations.
 
Well, if that is the case, why not make the Super16 a competition with 4 teams of each country?

South Africa can lose the Lions, New Zealand's Highlanders and Australia's Western Force would be the other 2 to drop out. That way it would be a more equal competition especially taking into account that Argentina is going to join SANZAR and the Tri-Nations.
 
Well, if that is the case, why not make the Super16 a competition with 4 teams of each country?

South Africa can lose the Lions, New Zealand's Highlanders and Australia's Western Force would be the other 2 to drop out. That way it would be a more equal competition especially taking into account that Argentina is going to join SANZAR and the Tri-Nations.
Because I doubt Argentina have the depth or finance's to support four competitive, professional teams. I do like the idea of NZ dropping the Highlanders. Their a team with character, but they tend to let the other NZ franchises down. Still, they've been in 4 semifinals and 1 final during the S12.

Wester Force should neever have been created, never mind the new Rebels. South Africa should drop the Lions (losing every game in a season, after never being competitive anyway, drop-em!)
 
Well, if that is the case, why not make the Super16 a competition with 4 teams of each count

South Africa can lose the Lions, New Zealand's Highlanders and Australia's Western Force would be the other 2 to drop out. That way it would be a more equal competition especially taking into account that Argentina is going to join SANZAR and the Tri-Nations.

I dont know about that.. NZ have the talent base to warrant 5 teams, taking a team away just because the other countries cant field 5 strong teams doesn't make much sense.
I'll admit the Highlanders are suffering due to the decline in popularity and strength of the game in Otago ITM, but the depth of NZ rugby as a whole however is very good. There are far too many top players in New Zealand to take away a professional team, that would drive players north quickfast. The NZRU has changed the rules to help out the Highlanders in that Super 14 teams can now contract any NZ player regardless of where he plays his ITM cup rugby, this should see the Highlanders step up and be a real force again.
 
Well, if that is the case, why not make the Super16 a competition with 4 teams of each country?

South Africa can lose the Lions, New Zealand's Highlanders and Australia's Western Force would be the other 2 to drop out. That way it would be a more equal competition especially taking into account that Argentina is going to join SANZAR and the Tri-Nations.

Altho the highlanders aren't the best team in S14 they do have/ had some very good players: Oliver, Hayman, Thompson, Donnelly, Cowan, Dagg, MacIntosh. They could head to Canterbury but I doubt most of those guys will get a chance to play.
 
It doesn't matter how poorly the Lions are doing, I dont think you can remove them and replace them with the southern kings. All those supporters of the Lions arent going to switch over to other South African teams and the Lions community would be shaken. Making the worse performing SA teams competitive shouldn't involve culling teams.

A team from Buenos Aires would be interesting, but would Argentinians get behind a team that plays in an international competition against nations that dont speak Spanish? Well I guess the city does have a population of 13million, so only a fraction of the cities residents would have to support the team for it to be economically viable.
 

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