The Kings are in!

Breaking news from a SARU General Council meeting: The Southern Kings have been admitted to Super Rugby for 2013, with the Lions relegated for one year. A promotion/relegation system will then be enforced after the 2013 season.

Bizarre? Yes. Unnecessary? Also, yes. The easiest way for SARU to extract themselves from the untenable position they put themselves in? Also, yes.

Yep . Wanted to post it.

Wow. but if SANZAR have already completed their draw, wont that throw a spanner in the works? and what about the Lions players contracted next year? Are they just going to up and leave to the Kings/Overseas?

Will the relegation be as straight forward as finishing bottom of the conference?

Dont agree with this part, I blame ONeil for this. He farked our rugby heart no end when Marinos and kie fell for him when they agree on the stupid S15 format way back. We never should have agree for this and should have run when we had the chance.

They wont go to the Kings, thats for sure. Most will go over the Jukskei to the Brutes.

Well at least it's not Robbie's fault.

On a serious note, from afar this seems like a political decision rather than a rugby one, which is unfortunate. On the flip side, if the Kings are no good at least nothing will have really changed.

You are dreaming PB. Wake up! It's not JON's job to look after the interests of South African rugby. He's getting exactly what he wants out of the whole situation. The idiots at SARU are to blame.

Wish it was that simple Richo. What happens to the contracted players/coaches for all the unions involved? Does everyone have clauses which allow them to get out of their contracts if they don't stay in Super Rugby the following year? Then once a team re-enters the following year, they effectively start from scratch. Who is going to want to sign for the Lions/Kings and to some extent, the Cheetahs, who may be at risk of being relegated from Super Rugby. It will simply increase the trend of all the quality players ending up at the 3 stronger unions.

So many thorny issues. Instituting relegation on the fly does not seem like a smart approach. I think that kind of system can work really well (EPL as the prime example), but this does not seem like the way to set up such a system for all the reasons you outline.

Unfortunately that seems to be SARU's method of operation. Putting fires out as they go along without much or any forward thinking.

Time for M Foley to get on a plane straight to J'burg and find some players.

Janjtes and La Grange would be solid acquisitions. How many foreign spots does he still have open?

A bit more info is on the front page http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/breaking-kings-reign-lions-eastern-cape-joins-super-rugby/

Relegation, sheesh. Seems the SARU have dug a hole and their solution is potato. How is that an effective system for SA rugby? Who will sign for either of those 3 sides?

Should of told them to stuff it, and wait for an expansion.

Very concerning. Anyone who thinks that SARU will take care of another dormant franchise like they did the Kings is kidding themselves.

They may just persist until a team like the Lions dies.

At least the other SA sides will have a 5 point lead in the S15.

Force should have held out a bit longer and they might have picked up janties rather than the journeyman ebersohn.

Have to feel for Lions fans. It would be awful to lose your team.

Why do you call him a journeyman? He has been his whole life a Osfonteiner. Perthfontein is probably is close as you'd get.