Cape Town - The Southern Kings have asked the South African Rugby Union (SARU) to allow them to use more than the two allowed foreign players in next year's Super Rugby competition.
The Kings will play in next year's event at the expense of the Lions, and have started building their squad for next season's Southern Hemisphere showpiece.
On Thursday they confirmed the signing of Western Province flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis. Other notable recent signings also include centre Andries Strauss from the Cheetahs and Sharks lock Steven Sykes.
Kings president Cheeky Watson told Eyewitness News Sport on Thursday that they're in talks with a further nine players, both local and foreign, and that while a South African player would be first choice, they have asked SARU if they could sign more than two foreigners if the need arises.
"It’s a decision that has to be made as we go along, because we may just land up being in a position that we don’t have to sign any foreign player," said Watson. "So it’s a situation that one will know in the next two weeks."
This comes after Watson revealed to the Rugby 365 website that they're in talks to sign more high-profile names.
Watson said he was talking to a number of European-based players and several players in Argentina.
"We are talking to players all over the place," Watson said on Wednesday. "We are talking to South African players based overseas and there are a couple of technicalities which we are looking at as we attempt to bring players on board," said Watson.
Twelve players from the current Eastern Province team, including captain Luke Watson, have signed contract extensions through 2013. Luke Watson will also skipper the team in the Super Rugby competition.
The Kings will play in next year's event at the expense of the Lions, and have started building their squad for next season's Southern Hemisphere showpiece.
On Thursday they confirmed the signing of Western Province flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis. Other notable recent signings also include centre Andries Strauss from the Cheetahs and Sharks lock Steven Sykes.
Kings president Cheeky Watson told Eyewitness News Sport on Thursday that they're in talks with a further nine players, both local and foreign, and that while a South African player would be first choice, they have asked SARU if they could sign more than two foreigners if the need arises.
"It’s a decision that has to be made as we go along, because we may just land up being in a position that we don’t have to sign any foreign player," said Watson. "So it’s a situation that one will know in the next two weeks."
This comes after Watson revealed to the Rugby 365 website that they're in talks to sign more high-profile names.
Watson said he was talking to a number of European-based players and several players in Argentina.
"We are talking to players all over the place," Watson said on Wednesday. "We are talking to South African players based overseas and there are a couple of technicalities which we are looking at as we attempt to bring players on board," said Watson.
Twelve players from the current Eastern Province team, including captain Luke Watson, have signed contract extensions through 2013. Luke Watson will also skipper the team in the Super Rugby competition.