southern kings

SA Rugby’s Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, has labelled the Guinness PRO14 as “one of the toughest I have ever coached in” on the eve of the start of the 2019/20 Championship, which kicks off on Friday in Bloemfontein. Erasmus may be guiding his Bok side at the Rugby World Cup in Japan currently, but he will have one eye on the Guinness PRO14 as it kicks off this weekend with two local games in South Africa and much expectation for the Toyota Cheetahs and the Isuzu Southern Kings. The … [Read more...] about Rassie Keeping an Eye on Guinness PRO14

The Isuzu Southern Kings have named their 25-man squad that will take on Namibia in their second warm-up match on Saturday. The two sides played in the first clash in Windhoek last week, and will once again square up against each other, this time at Walvis Bay High School. Kick-off for the match will be at 15h00. Interim Head Coach, Robbi Kempson, has made a few changes to the team that will be captained by lock, JC Astle, while scrumhalf, Stefan Ungerer will be vice-captain. Some of … [Read more...] about Few Changes to team to face Namibia

Hooker Chad Solomons has joined the Isuzu Southern Kings in Namibia on a one-match loan from Western Province. The Isuzu Southern Kings are preparing for their second pre-season warm-up match against the World Cup-bound national team in Walvis Bay which will be played on Saturday. Kick-off will be at 15h00. Western Province coach, John Dobson, agreed to release the 25-year-old as a short-term replacement following a concussion to Gareth Heidtmann, who started in the No2 jersey in the first … [Read more...] about Early Kings Medical Update

Topflight rugby will be back at the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Stadium when the ISUZU Southern Kings kick off their Guinness PRO14 campaign next month. The ISUZU Southern Kings Board, in conjunction with the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium operator, the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), confirmed at a press briefing on Friday that an agreement has been signed by the two entities which will see the large majority of the Eastern Cape rugby franchise’s Guinness PRO14 matches back at the … [Read more...] about 10 Out of 11 Isuzu Southern Kings Games to be played at NMB Stadium

The ISUZU Southern Kings will take on World Cup-bound side, Georgia, in the first of their 2019/20 Guinness PRO14 warm-up matches next month. The Port Elizabeth-based side received an invitation from the Georgia Rugby Union to play in the friendly match at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Tuesday, August 27. The match will kick off at 19h15. “Georgia was set to take on Russia in their World Cup warm-up match, but the Russian team withdrew. We were the first … [Read more...] about Georgia on Kings Mind!

The ISUZU Southern Kings Board has noticed the widespread and largely inaccurate speculations in the media regarding the ongoing process of appointing a new Head Coach for the franchise. We can confirm that proceedings continue to progress in an orderly, confidential and professional manner. An interviewing panel was appointed to interview candidates for the Head Coach position and to make recommendations to the ISUZU Southern Kings Board. While the job advertisement for the vacant … [Read more...] about Kings Coach Speculation

The ISUZU Southern Kings will kickoff their 2019/20 Guinness PRO14 season with three back-to-back home matches when the season gets underway later in the year. PRO14 Rugby officially announced the fixtures for the new season on Wednesday, with the Port Elizabeth-based side set to open their campaign on Saturday, September 28, at home against Welsh side, Cardiff Blues. The kick-off time for that clash will be at 16h00. The Kings will then also play their following two matches in Nelson … [Read more...] about Kings Optimistic over Guinness PRO14 Fixtures List

In 72 days South Africa will raise the curtain on the new Guinness PRO14 campaign when the Toyota Cheetahs host 2015 champions Glasgow Warriors in Bloemfontein on September 27. And one day later on 28 September 2019 the Isuzu Southern Kings will play against the Cardiff Blues at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Kick off will be 16h00. All five unions within the Guinness PRO14 will host a game in Round 1 with Ulster and Ospreys also playing on opening night in Belfast as Benetton Rugby, … [Read more...] about 72 Days to start of Guinness PRO14

The ISUZU Southern Kings can confirm that former Springbok, Braam van Straaten, has joined the franchise as Defence and Kicking Coach. Mr Van Straaten comes with a wealth of experience, not only as an ex-player, but as a defence and kicking specialist. He was previously the kicking coach of the Australian national team, and was recently the defence and kicking coach of Super Rugby side, the Sharks. “We have set our sights on creating a quality side at the ISUZU Southern Kings that boasts … [Read more...] about Braam Van Straaten Joins Kings

With over 50 applications from across the globe received for the vacant position of Head Coach, the ISUZU Southern Kings are now embarking on shortlisting the candidates and starting the interviewing process. At the special board meeting that was held on Monday, 1 July 2019, one of the items on the agenda was to finalise the interview panel for a prospective head coach. The Board unanimously agreed and approved the following members to form the fully Eastern Cape-born seven-man … [Read more...] about Flood of Applicants for Kings Head Coach Position

Loyiso Dotwana, Chairman of the Board of the Isuzu Southern Kings Rugby Franchise said this in a statement released this evening: We called upon our partners and minority shareholders, the EP Rugby Union, to urgently deal with the unacceptable and destructive behaviour of its nominee to the ISUZU Southern Kings Board, Mr Bantwini Matika. His actions over the past few days have brought the franchise’s name and company reputation into disrepute. We strongly disagree with the inflammatory, … [Read more...] about About Mr Bantwini Matika

Winger Yaw Penxe, loose-forward CJ Velleman, hooker Tango Balekile and centre Sibusiso Sithole have all committed their future to the ISUZU Southern Kings as the Port Elizabeth-based side continues to build a strong squad going into the 2019/20 Guinness PRO14 season. Penxe, who was one of the ISUZU Southern Kings’ standout players, finishing as top try-scorer with eight tries, has signed a two-year extension with the side he initially joined in the 2017 Super Rugby season. Since turning … [Read more...] about Our Commitment is to the Kings