Kings financial trouble adds to Super Rugby woes

The Eastern Province Kings are understood to be back in financial dificulties
putting their participation in the 2016 Super Rugby tournament as the Southern
Kings in doubt.

At the end of July the Kings players had problems with unpaid wages but were
eventually paid out in full and several meetings are understood to have taken
place to address the problems this created.

It now appears that the same issues have resurfaced and Kings players have
not been paid for August.

Kings Chief executive Charl Crous says that he is adressing the matter and
meeting the Union’s president Cheeky Watson to try and solve the matter.

“I’m heading into a meeting with Mr Watson regarding that,’
he told SARugbymag.

“There has been some delay in payments coming in, but we’re working
on that at the moment and I’m confident it will be resolved.”

The Kings are expected to be included as a sixth South African team in Super
Rugby from next year but as Japan appear to be well behind in their planning
and the Kings struggling financially tournament organisers SANZAR have been
looking at tournament formats with less than the expected 18 teams.

Kings President Cheeky Watson has been speaking for months about a record sponsorship
deal heading the Kings way but as yet no deal has been confirmed and there are
now reports that the players are threatening to go on strike.

South African Rugby Players’ Association chief executive Piet Heymans said
that they had been made aware that the players salaries had not been paid and
that they were looking into the matter.

“We’ve heard some rumours of this, but we’re waiting to get
feedback from the Kings, and will be better placed to discuss the matter once
that has happened.”

In July Carlos Spencer left the Eastern Province Union claiming he had not
been paid.