THE KINGS PICTURE - COLOUR BY NUMBERS

Now that he Kings have been 'relegated' from Super Rugby and Transformation being the key word thrown around over the past week with the new quotas for Vodacom cup we need to ask our selves whether the Kings have fulfilled ,or at the very least showed intent to fulfill, their promise of transformation. Many out there are quick to throw stones at the Kings for this very reason, but do they have a point???

At first glance a person might feel that the accusations and criticism regarding transformation is warranted and that the Kings have not done enough in this regard. However, the only way to determine whether or not they have succeeded or showed some intent is to have a look at all the structures of the union.

We must have a look at all the levels (the Super team, the curriecup/vodacom cup teams, the academy and age-group  teams etc.) and compare it to the other unions. After all of this has been analysed can we form an informed (hopefully objective) opinion surrounding this matter and what the Kings have actually achieved. In this blog I will concentrate on the Super rugby stats only and just briefly skim the other two areas as people tend to only be interested in judging the Kings on their Superrugby-stats.

SECTIONS:
• At super rugby level
• At vodacom cup and curriecup level
• At Junior level – age groups and academy

SUPER RUGBY LEVEL:
After painstakingly working through the South African team sheets of the super rugby competition I have obtained the following data. (this could be under correction but is accurate according to my knowledge and may exclude last minute changes after team sheets where originally released - note that I was unable to obtain the team sheets for round 6 & 12)

Kings played the 3rd most of the South African teams in their starting 22, and the 4th most in the starting 15. 
This places them smack in the middle as far as transformation is concerned at the top level and Stormers are leading the pack by far. (If you add the transformation happening at the juior levels I think the Kings promise of transforming has been fulfilled).

PLAYERS USED BY SUPERRUGBY FRANCHISES
BULLS (6)
Zane Kirchner, Lionel Mapoe, Bjorn Basson, Chilliboy Ralepelle, Sampie Mastriet, Akona Ndungane
CHEETAHS (6)
Raymons Rhule, Trevor Nyakane, Elgar Watts, Ryno Benjamin, Burton Francis, Howard Mnisi
SHARKS (8)

JP Pietersen, Lwazi Mvovo, Tendai Mtawarira, Odwa Ndungane, S’Bura Sithole, Fred Zeillinga, Monde Hadebe, Tera Mthembu
STORMERS (8)
Gio Aplon, Bryan Habanna, Siya Kolisi, Juan de Jongh, Elton Jantjies, Nizaam Carr, Cheslin Kolbe, Scarra Ntubeni
KINGS (10)
Sergeal Petersen, Marcello Sampson, Bandise Maku, Edgar Maratlule, Daniel Adongo, Wayllon Murray, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Mpho Mbiyozo, Thabo Mamojele, Siyanda Grey

Even though the Kings have not topped the stats (came in 3rd far behind the Stormers and only 1 behind the Cheetahs) as far as selections go. They have however topped the stats as far as amount of different players used. In total 38 players of colour had the opportunity to play top class rugby in 2013 of which the Southern Kings have used 10 (25%), the Stormers & Sharks 8 and then 6 each for Bulls and Cheetahs. Note that only 6 of the 10 used by the Kings originate from the Eastern Cape area, but for the purpose of this blog I chose to look at the player used by the franchises in 2013 regardless of where they come from.

If you want to use where they come from as the criteria you can remove players like Zane Kirchner, Lionel Mapoe, Bjorn Basson, Akona Ndungane, Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, Howard Mnisi, Siya Kolisi & Scarra Ntubeni from the list of players used by other unions and add them to the Southern Kings list of 6 locally bred players.  Keep in mind that from this list only Howard Mnisi left the region after the academy has been established.

VODACOM CUP LEVEL
After skimming through the team sheets of the Vodacom cup teams and also that of the Currie cup teams it is clear to see that EP Kings have accomplished their Transformation objectives at this level with the teams on many occasions being a 50/50 split if not dominated by the selection of players of colour. If you add Border and SWD to the equation (who are both franchise partners and also capable of producing many players of colour in their starting lineups), the Southern Kings franchise is far ahead of most other franchises in pure player depth regarding players of colour at this level. (This will probably be raided by the bigger unions in the near future due to the new quota laws for the Vodacom cup)

YOUTH RUGBY & ACADEMY LEVEL
Our youth teams (Ep, SWD & Border @ u19 & u21 level) are also stacked with players of colour and is a testament to the effort put in by EP Kings and its franchise partners to develop the talent in the region.

In 2012 the Kings established an Academy to better the opportunities & training for the young players in the region (not only in rugby but also academically).  In 2012 players of colour made up 55% of the academy squad, 65% in 2013 and they aim to up this to 75% in 2014 and then keep it at ratio in the future.  This stipulates the intent of the region to develop its player and to transform the face of rugby in the region that better represent the demographics of the region. The academy has already produced some players who have represented the Southern Kings this year and they are Shakes Soyizwapi, Sergeal Petersen, Rynier Bernardo, Shane Gates and Scott van Breda (note 2(40%) of these players are players of colour).

Border in itself is a major breeding ground and many players of colour who have gone on to represent some of the 'bigger' franchises was schooled in this area. Some of them even started their provincial rugby career in the Border area and with the recently approved SARU academy to be established in the Border region (one also in SWD) hopefully more players will be developed and remain in the region to further their careers.  This in itself strengthens the intent shown not only by the region but also that of SARU to develop and transform rugby in the region and the country.



Having a look at the stats of the Super rugby franchise I feel the Kings did reasonably well in their first season as far as transformation is concerned (nothing exceptional - middle of the pack regarding numbers).
More can be done but saying that they have not fulfilled their promise of transformation is a bit harsh - especially if you keep in mind the promise was to transform and not to already be transformed. Look at the number of young talented players of colour coming through their ranks with the help of the academy and its targets (% players of colour to be contracted) as well as the numbers already in the Vodacom cup and junior competitions. It is a clear indication as to their goals regarding transformation and in my opinion this have shown me that they are fulfilling their promise of transformation and given time the benefits will be clear. It could take a few years to see the results, but I have faith that they will succeed in their goals and transform the face of rugby in the region if the continue in the way they already have.


The names and stats in this article is based on my own research and is accurate as far as my knowledge is concerned. If you know of any names or info I have missed or if any of my stats are incorrect - please let me know and I will in the near future post an updated and corrected blog.

VODACOM CUP QUOTAS RAISES QUESTIONS?

I have read in the media today that there will be quotas for the Vodacomcup and this have raised many questions in my mind regarding whether on how it will work and what might happen.

How will SARU enforce this quota and what will the penalties be for not complying?
Will the penalty be financial or log points or a combination of both all pending on the severity of the short coming?

Will the 'bigger' unions who do not have the adequate amount of players of colour in the junior ranks develop their own players or will this just create a bigger market for poaching players of colour from unions who have already complied to this quota and already dedicated their time to the development of the players.  Will this mean that teams like Border & Eastern Province who have already increased their numbers in the age group teams and the Vodacomcup team will now just be raided more by the 'bigger' teams???

What happens if players of colour are injured (will there be allowances)?
Many teams have limited amount of players of colour to pick from and will already struggle to comply with the new quotas set in place. Will a team who has lost 2 or 3 players of colour to injury be penalised for not fielding enough players or will this somehow be monitored and kept in mind when it comes to penalising such a team (either by decreasing the penalty or by completely removing the penalty)? And if this is the case will there then be some sort of incentive for teams who do manage to play the required amount of quotas and will there be a 'prize' for the team who manages to get the most players of colour onto the field and playing?

After all of these questions are answered and the whole system has gone through the trial and error stage I think that this idea of SARU might work. There will be some growing pains as the franchises try to comply but  in the mean time many players of colour will get the required exposure and experience and we might just see one or two unlikely heroes appearing in the future. This could lead to more players of colour in the Superrugby teams and hopefully one day the Boks aswell.

Only time will tell - let us see what happens.

HOLD THE KINGS HORSES AND ALL THE KINGS MEN...

...can they put a squad together again?....

After the loss to the Lions this past weekend it seemed as if the wheels on the Kings bus was coming of completely with numerous players and coaches announcing their departure.  The players and coaches who have been reported to be leaving the kings are as follow...

Players leaving:
Brandise Maku, Kevin Buys, David Bulbring, Wimpie van der Walt, Jacques Engelbrecht, Daniel Adongo, Demetri Catrakillis, Waylon Murray and SP Marais.
Loan players who have returned to their unions since the beginning of super rugby
Shaun Venter back to pumas but will join cheetahs at the end of the year, Edgar Maratlule back to the leopards, Grant Kemp back to SWD, Hadley Parkes back to Auckland.
International players who have also left:
Thomas Leonardi & Virgile Lecombe
Coaching staff who have left
Andy Solomon's director of rugby, Omar Morenheime defense coach, Brad Mooar skills coach

One would think that the Kings would be completely demorilised by the fact that so many players and coaches have left the union. However, taking a closer look at who remains you realise that they might even be in a better position now than they where at the same time last year. Sure they have lost some players, but are they worse off than last year this time?

Current Starting XV (after players have left)
1) Jaco Engels
2) Hannes Franklin
3) Schalk Ferreira
4) Steven Sykes
5) Darron Nell
6) Cornell du Preez
7) Devin Oosthuizen / Mpho Mbiyozo
8) Luke Watson
9) Scott Mathie (uncertainty about Vergallo)
10) George Whitehead
11) Marcelo Sampson / Michael killian
12) Andries Strauss / Shane Gates
13) Ronnie Cooke  / Scott van Breda
14) Sergeal Peterson
15) Shakes Soyizwapi

Starting XV 2012
1) Schalk Ferreira
2) Hannes Franklin
3) Clint Newland
4) Darron Nell
5) David Bulbring
6) Luke Watson
7) Wimpie van der Waldt
8) Jacques Engelbrecht
9) Scott Mathie
10) Wesley Dunlop
11) Marcelo Sampson
12) Tiger Mangweni
13) Wayne Stevens
14) Paul Perez
15) SP Marais

Not much to choose between the two squads but keep in mind that the amount of experience gained by the team since 2012 make it a completely different team. Players like Du Preez, Sampson, Peterson, Soyizwapi, van Breda, Whitehead & Gates all getting their first taste of top flight rugby and gaining massive amounts of experience.  The biggest challenge will now be to keep the players used to the high pace rugby and arranging proper games for them to stay sharp for the promo relegation games in 2014. One or two more signings here and there and some players coming through the academy system they might even be competitive come 2014. Anything can happen, Keep the Faith.

THE KINGS QUEST - REBUILDING THEIR KINGDOM

KINGS QUEST (PART 1) – REGROUP THE WOUNDED AND REPAIR THE FAITH.

RECOVERY FROM BATTLE

• REGROUPING OF THE FORCES AND COUNTING CASUALTIES
As we have already seen many of the Kings players have decided to run for the hills and look for greener pastures elsewhere since the Kings have lost the rugby Promo/relegation battle against the Lions leaving us to retrieve our wounded from the battle field. Our biggest task at this stage would have to be to retain as many players of our squad as possible (especially the young guns like Gates, Shakes, du Preez and van Breda) to at least have some sort of foundation to rebuild on.  

Obviously this process should have been started before the promo/relegation match and discussed with players to determine their future with the union (I am sure that behind the scenes the Kings are frantically busy trying to keep the players or at least have them leave on their terms).  At the rate players are currently leaving I am not sure how many players will be left but somehow the Kings have to somehow stop the players from running.  After the dust has settled and the Kings can finally count their casualties and see who is left standing they can start planning by identifying positions that has been left considerably weakened by player loss. Flyhalf comes to mind as Catrakilis has confirmed his move to the WP, Wesley Dunlop is on his way to France and rumours are that Whitehead is also on his way (still to be confirmed). The front row can also be a problem with Maku, Buis already leaving and rumours are that Fereirra might be joining the Lions.

• KEEP THE YOUTH (utilize the trained soldier)
Some academy players have gained from Super rugby – either by direct experience at top flight getting some super rugby games (Gates, Shakes, van Breda and Sergeal). Other academy players have been gaining experience at Curriecup level (Aidon Davis etc.).  It is absolutely vital that we keep these players and somehow offer them something to keep them here.  

GET NEW LEADERSHIP
Every army needs a general to direct the troops and with our director of rugby, Alan Solomons, and some of his assistants , Omar Morenheime (defense) and Brad Mooar (skills), leaving, the Kings are left with a major gap in coaching. One of the main priorities would be to obtain the services of some renowned coaches to somehow restore faith with the supporters and promote confidence in the players who remained at the franchise after the mass exodus. Someone who immediately springs to mind would be a guy Jimmy like from the Pumas, he has achieved quite a lot with the limited resources available to him and seems to have the respect of his players and that of the rugby community in general.

NEGOTIATE CONDITIONS OF SURRENDER

This is probably the most important part in the recovery phase and this is the political allegiances and arrangements that can be made in order to create an environment in which one can build a future.

Currently it seems as if the promo/relegation match will be taking place in 2014 and to qualify for 2015 will obviously be first prize – however, we need to consider where this is an achievable goal or whether it might just be out of the reach of the Kings after the current player exodus and how it has affected the group of players that will be available for the match next year. If we are unable to retain a satisfactory amount of players with the necessary skills we might have to consider ‘surrendering’ the match with a few conditions.  

Our conditions should be as follow. We will surrender and accept that we will only get Super rugby participation in 2016 and that such participation must be guaranteed by SARU and an expansion to include a sixth franchise must be approved by SANZAR.  SARU must show intent of developing the region by guaranteeing Curriecup rugby participation in 2014 (latest 2015) either by expanding the current Curriecup competition to 7 teams or to keep it at 6 teams which would be the six franchise teams (WP, Cheetahs, Kings, Bulls, Lions & Sharks).

These conditions will give the Kings negotiating power at academy level and at a later stage at the senior level to contract players and building a squad. Only if SARU commits to the Kings and seriously show their intent in developing can there be a chance of success. The ball is now in SARU’s court – let us see if they are willing to create an allegiance.

KINGS QUEST (PART 2) – PREPARING FOR WAR

REBUILDING AN ARMY

Academy contracting (recruiting)
I suggest that young players who are approached and signed by the academy do so for 3 years (from the age of 18 till 21) after which they will have to do 1 year service to the franchise (at any of the franchise partners).  This is a common practice utilized by businesses when offering bursaries to students – it is a way of ensuring that you get something back for your investment into the individual – will also assist in preventing other unions from easily poaching players trained in our academy. If players wish to leave earlier they must either be released from their Academy contract by the Southern Kings Rugby Union or be bought out of the contract by the interested union (compensate the Kings for the time and effort spent on training the player - these funds must be pushed back into the academy).  

Currently contracting players for the academy will be a difficult job as the Kings are not currently guaranteed a spot in any major international rugby competition and future prospects for players after the academy look a bit bleak.  Here once again a guaranteed participation in Curriecup by SARU can assist the Kings recruiting for the academy until we can get a Super rugby spot after which recruiting should become a lot easier (especially if the participation is guaranteed for a few seasons or more).

• Sign young players (recruit a future army)
Recruiting players for next season should be directed on relatively young players (players between 24 and 27) young enough to see us through to the 2016 season if required and should be signed on a 2 or 3 year contract deal. This task will obviously be made a bit easier if SARU can guarantee our participation in Curriecup from 2014 (latest 2015) and our definite participation in Super rugby (or similar competition – depending on the SANZAR talks) from 2016 onwards.

 

• Aggressive buying (remove opposition resources – buy closest rivals players)
EP Kings at this stage should concentrate on buying players from the Pumas (our competition in 1^st Div) and players from Griquas (our competition in premier division – this would also weaken the Cheetahs a bit).  Why bother being the best in your first year as it is basically impossible – should concentrate on climbing the ranks 1 spot at a time and that is by weakening the squad just above you while improving your own.

• Creative contracting (obtain foreign allies – combine local contracts with overseas contracts)
Here are two ways to get creative with the contracting. 

As the Kings need to strengthen their currie-cup squad they somehow need to be able to offer players something more than just curriecup and the first way to do this is to try and come to some arrangement with the Rebels and/or Force in Australia.  Of all the Super-franchises they are allowed to sign the most foreign players and as Australia in general struggle with player depth this might be a golden opportunity.  A great suggestion that I read posted by a member of the Kings army is to combine contracts and offer players a package deal of playing Currie-cup for Eastern Province and Super rugby for the Rebels (this however will only work in 2014 & 2015 as we would like to keep our players here for the Super rugby 2016 season).

The same approach can be taken towards a Japanese club when we qualify for Super rugby in 2016 – We can then offer players a combined contract deal Super rugby for The Southern Kings and then play for a Japanese club in the Japanese league like Peter Grant did for the Stormers.  Since Japanese clubs are reasonably loaded with cash and often willing to spend large amounts this could be a perfect opportunity to be able to actually offer players larger contracts without over extending themselves. This could enable us to attract some high profile rugby players nearing the end of their careers. Obviously this way of contracting does not necessarily have to be limited to Japan but can be combined with any overseas clubs.

• Loan players (mercenaries)
When it comes to 2016 the Kings will probably have to strengthen their squad with some loan players from other rugby unions like they did this year with the likes of Adongo, Maratlule & Venter.  There are some players in the first division who are good enough to play Superrugby but have not yet had the exposure to break into the big leagues, players like Vleis Engelbrecht, Wimpie van der Walt, Shaun Venter are a perfect example of this.  To be able to do this a close eye needs to be kept on our opposition in the 1^st division to determine what players (not used by other franchises) are capable of making the step up to the next level.

• Bring in the Foreign Legion
(make use of the allowed 2 foreign players – in strategic important positions – building depth in vital positions)
Like the Kings did this year they must make use of the 2 foreigners allowed to the franchise to create squad depth and they must be signed for Curriecup aswell as super rugby.  They must also keep in mind that SARU made it known this year that rugby players from other parts in Africa are not regarded as foreign players and therefor they would make perfect targets for signing without breaking any rules of SARU.  There are some possibilities then for some Zimbabwians & Namibians to play rugby and the Kings should maybe even keep an eye on the Kenyan 7’s rugby team (they are improving in the 7's scene) for possible players that might be up to scratch and ready for battle.

STRENGTHEN YOUR BORDERS

• Help SWD and BORDER to sign better players (the better our neighbours the more depth)
SWD and Border are surely benefiting a bit financially from Super rugby in the region and should have a bit more funding than in the past. We should encourage them to try and attract players from the Leopards and Pumas to their unions, by targeting these teams they are weakening the nearest opposition and could climb a spot or two in the standings. Would be great to have the Kings play in currie cup and have SWD and Border rugby as the best two teams in the First Division (we could then maybe draft more of their players into the actual super squad – this will create much better player depth).

The Kings could assist them in recruiting players in the same way as the Cheetahs assist the Griquas and that is by splitting the ‘bill’ and paying the player fees together (this is only workable if we have Superrugby as the Griquas benefit from the player in curriecup and the Cheetahs during super rugby)

• Assist SWD and BORDER with their academies
The Kings academy have been established for a few years now and we have already started reaping the rewards in producing some quality players for the future – however our neighbours and franchise partners SWD and BORDER have both only recently been approved an academy by SARU. Whether they have been established yet I am not sure, if not we must pressure SARU to open these academies ASAP and once they have been opened the Kings must be willing to help them setup the proper structures and inform them of what their own academy has learned over the past few years. 

The more working academies in our region the larger the crop to choose from and the more development will be achieved.  One way of measuring the player quality and development of the players will be to get them to play in a competition against one another and identify individuals we would like to keep after they have completed their stints with the academies.

• Communication between our franchise partners.
The Kings should communicate to their partner franchises about the players they intend to keep and who are players considered good enough either to be part of the super squad or as players on standby for player depth. In turn the partners should also communicate to the Kings if a player is considering leaving and whether the Kings would want them (or the Kings themselves) to counter offer to try and keep the player in the franchise feeding area.