The Kings in Financial Trouble

The following from Supersport:-
"The local media reported that Kings players have gone on strike for a second time this year.

However, enquiries have gone unanswered - with EP Rugby Union President Cheeky Watson and CEO Charl Crouse locked in "intensive discussions" for most of the day.

A spokesperson for the Kings told rugby365 they are expecting to issue a statement on the matter on Wednesday.

It is the second time this year that there was a "delay" in the payment of player salaries.

A bitter row erupted in July between Watson and former coach Carlos Spencer over unpaid wages.

Spencer departed the Kings after an ugly public spat, with the New Zealander confirming that his departure is related to the unpaid wages.

It was reported that the players' outstanding wages were eventually paid - some reports claim by the end of July - and promises were may by Watson of "the biggest sponsorship in the history of SA rugby".

Other than a minor apparel sponsor not much has come of the promises and it is now reported that the players were again not paid in August.

This resulted in the strike action by the players.

At this stage it is uncertain if the Kings' Currie Cup encounter with the Golden Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday will go ahead.

The Kings have struggled to make an impact the this and have yet to win a game."

This is the result of the Union be run by an ANC cadre.  One can be bloody sure that Watson has been paid in full and that the hospital bills of Puke has been paid as well.   The players not being paid is a disgrace and Spencer was right in giving up his job - because how otherwise is a team to be motivated to perform when they cannot pay their personal expenses?

This lot wants to play in Super Rugby next year - the lot must be dilly to even think so.    

 ou maaaikie dont be so sure they wont get some guy sponsoring them to buy some favour from the anc. Its all about corruption. The whole queens story stinks and they should be booted out the Super rugby comp NOW. 

 Beeno
I am sure the ANC Government will bail them out again with taxpayers money.  That would be one corrupt set-up supporting another corrupt set-up.   The situation is that the Government paid them R40 million when they were in the Super Series - but the private sponsors will not touch them because they are basically corrupt.   
I think that the Government would announce soon that they are going to support the Kings financially.  That would be a scandal.   Why can the other smaller unions - like the Pumas, the Griquas, the Leopards as well as Border, the South Western Districts and Boland - survive financially and the Kings cannot?
As you said - they should be booted out of the Super Series - because they are not even remotely as good as the Pumas or the other teams in the CC.  Why should they be favoured and other Unions not so as Super Series participants?        

We have the Watsons to thank for ruining SuperXV rugby. Their insistence on having the king quotas is what demanded the tournament be expanded.

Their is no doubt that Puke Watson and Cheeky Watson are being paid, while the rest of the squad get payed little to nothing. Ask Carlos Spencer.

Does Cheeky actually know anything about rugby, or is he just a quota manager.

 Never fear.....The ANC comrades have deep pockets.
Just keep paying your taxes and ask yourself what are you paying into.
An BIG BLACK HOLE.

Actually it's "a" big hole moron. And now that you have scurried away to second rate Canada, it's not nice making fun of those that have to pay the taxes. How's your currency doing these days?

 arseart....go and take yourself in hand you old T.W.A.T.

Have some decency...many posters are in RSA for the long haul. They have kids who are also committed....and even those of us who have left still have family in RSA. Nobody needs a gloating  refugee telling them how bad things are.

 Nobody is asking you to comment on any postings.
Stop typing a load of bull...t on each and every blog.

Trust there are not many like you left in SA. Hope they are all in USA.
Cheers you old senile T.W.A.T.

 The latest report on the Kings situation:-
'An ongoing stand-off between EP Rugby and the players, over the non-payment of salaries, has put in jeopardy the Currie Cup match between the Kings and Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The latest controversy follows a similar dispute in July, when New Zealander Carlos Spencer - then a member of the coaching panel - walked away from the team over non-payment of salaries.

The players were eventually paid at the end of July, with some reports claiming that it was the result of a SARU intervention.

EPRU President Cheeky Watson responded with a terse "no comment", when approached by rugby365 over the ongoing financial crisis at the Port Elizabeth-based union.

The South African Rugby Players Association confirmed they will meet with the players on Thursday, as the latest stand-off drags into a third day.

"We will be advising them [the players] of their legal rights," SARPA and MyPlayers media manager Nyaniso Sam told rugby365.

"The decisions taken by the players, going forward, will be based on that [meeting]," he added.

While all parties were reluctant to say too much, given the sensitive nature of the situation, it is believed that the players had a meeting at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday - after discovering they were not paid for August - and decided to stop training till the financial issues are resolved.

It has become a classic case of "no pay, no play" and Thursday's meeting could be the proverbial watershed for the union.

The Kings boss, Watson, and the union CEO Charl Crouse have been locked in intense discussions for the past two days.

The fact that the much-publicised record sponsorship has not materialised has added fuel to the fire.

The Kings have endured a torrid start to the Currie Cup campaign‚ losing all four of their matches - including coughing up more than 50 points against the Lions in Port Elizabeth in Round One.

While the EPRU has been beset by cash problems for some time, Watson insisted last week the "massive" sponsorship is a  fait accompli.

He said the cash-flow issues that resulted in the non-payment of salaries would be resolved once the sponsorship was finalised."

This is  classic case of financial mismanagement by the Watsons and the only solution for the Union would be -

*   for the local board to be sacked;

*   for SARU to take over the administration of the Union until the financial situation has been finalized;

*   for  SARU to try and find a new sponsor for the Union; and 

*   for the Union to withdraw from the upcoming Super Series in view of their disastrous performance in the CC thus far and their financial inability to draw in additional players to augment their present squad.   

This shows why political idealogues should not run business interests - as well as the fact that  in the Government set-up the Eastern Cape Province and the Municipality of the Nelson Mandela Metro is in chaos as well.  

While on the topic of the Super series - Japan should also be given another year to get their house in order and the Series should only be extended to cover a team from Argentina - who seems to be ready to participate from next year.  

 

  

Well ofourse if you cannot win... sad thing about EP rugby is that its a place of good youth rugby but naturally exceptional players go to the Sharks, Bulls and Stormers... another issue with manipulative interfering politicians.

 Seb
The sponsors will shy away from them because their management of finances has been a shambles in the past.   Nobody in suitable financial institutions will from a sponsorship perspective touch them with a bargepole as long as Cheeky Watson is around.