Cape Town - The Southern Kings are still hoping the SA Rugby Union (SARU) will give them permission to field more than the allowed number of overseas players in Super Rugby.
The Eastern Cape franchise signed five overseas players - three more than what is allowed - in the hope than SARU will give them some leeway. They will play in the Super Rugby competition this year at the expense of the Johannesburg-based Lions.
Kings president Cheeky Watson is confident that they will be allowed to field more overseas players than the four other South African franchises.
"All that I am willing to say is that we are still busy talking to various role players," he told Die Burger's website.
SARU insisted at the end of last year that there was "no change to the status quo" of only two foreign players allowed in local Super Rugby squads.
The five overseas players contracted are fullback Hadleigh Parkes, scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo, utility forward Daniel Adongo, hooker Virgil Lacombe and loose forward Tomas Leonardi. They were all recently included when the Kings announced their Super Rugby squad. However, should SARU not give in to the Kings' commands, three of them will have to be left out and possibly demoted to the EP Kings' Vodacom Cup side.
The Kings start their Super campaign at home against Australia's Force on February 23.
Southern Kings' Super Rugby squad:
Forwards:
Boetie Britz, Rynier Bernardo, David Bullbring, Kevin Buys, Cornell du Preez, Jacques Engelbrecht, Jaco Engels, Schalk Ferreira, Ross Geldenhuys, Lizo Gqoboka, Virgil Lacombe, Tomas Leonardi, Bandise Maku, Edgar Marutlulle, Mpho Mbiyozo, Darron Nell, Daniel Adongo, Devin Oosthuizen, Steven Sykes, Wimpie van der Walt, Luke Watson (captain)
Backs:
Demetri Catrakilis, Ronnie Cooke, Wesley Dunlop, Siyanda Grey, Johan Herbst, Michael Killian, SP Marais, Scott Mathie, Waylon Murray, Hadleigh Parkes, Sergeal Petersen, Marcello Sampson, Shakes Soyizwapi, Wayne Stevens, Andries Strauss, Elrich van Vuuren, Shaun Venter, Nicolas Vergallo, George Whitehead
HAVE YOUR SAY: Should SARU give in and allow the Kings more overseas players? Will it enhance their chances in their debut Super Rugby season? Send your thoughts to Sport24.
The Eastern Cape franchise signed five overseas players - three more than what is allowed - in the hope than SARU will give them some leeway. They will play in the Super Rugby competition this year at the expense of the Johannesburg-based Lions.
Kings president Cheeky Watson is confident that they will be allowed to field more overseas players than the four other South African franchises.
"All that I am willing to say is that we are still busy talking to various role players," he told Die Burger's website.
SARU insisted at the end of last year that there was "no change to the status quo" of only two foreign players allowed in local Super Rugby squads.
The five overseas players contracted are fullback Hadleigh Parkes, scrumhalf Nicolas Vergallo, utility forward Daniel Adongo, hooker Virgil Lacombe and loose forward Tomas Leonardi. They were all recently included when the Kings announced their Super Rugby squad. However, should SARU not give in to the Kings' commands, three of them will have to be left out and possibly demoted to the EP Kings' Vodacom Cup side.
The Kings start their Super campaign at home against Australia's Force on February 23.
Southern Kings' Super Rugby squad:
Forwards:
Boetie Britz, Rynier Bernardo, David Bullbring, Kevin Buys, Cornell du Preez, Jacques Engelbrecht, Jaco Engels, Schalk Ferreira, Ross Geldenhuys, Lizo Gqoboka, Virgil Lacombe, Tomas Leonardi, Bandise Maku, Edgar Marutlulle, Mpho Mbiyozo, Darron Nell, Daniel Adongo, Devin Oosthuizen, Steven Sykes, Wimpie van der Walt, Luke Watson (captain)
Backs:
Demetri Catrakilis, Ronnie Cooke, Wesley Dunlop, Siyanda Grey, Johan Herbst, Michael Killian, SP Marais, Scott Mathie, Waylon Murray, Hadleigh Parkes, Sergeal Petersen, Marcello Sampson, Shakes Soyizwapi, Wayne Stevens, Andries Strauss, Elrich van Vuuren, Shaun Venter, Nicolas Vergallo, George Whitehead
HAVE YOUR SAY: Should SARU give in and allow the Kings more overseas players? Will it enhance their chances in their debut Super Rugby season? Send your thoughts to Sport24.