Toulon’s Top 14 Rugby club owner Mourad Boudjellal is understood to be in talks
to buy South Africa’s struggling Super Rugby side the EP Kings.
The (Southern) Kings have been experiencing financial troubles for months and
a ZAR 200 Million promised sponsorship has not materialised which has led to
some players not being paid.
The South African Rugby Union have pushed for the Kings return to Super Rugby
and in just over three months they will return but there are reports that the
Union is ZAR 80Million in debt.
Boudjellal has offered to buy the franchise and take on the debts but in return
for Toulon matches against the Springboks to help generate funds.
Meanwhile the South African Rugby Players Association (SARPA) have given the
Kings until Tuesday (November 10) to pay outstanding salaries for October or
face action.
SARPA issued the deadline on the 31st of October but they say that they have
not decided yet on what action they will take against the Kings if they do not
comply.
EP Kings President Cheeky Watson has apparently left South Africa and is either
in Australia for a family wedding or is in Europe chasing up the sponsorship
according to two different reports.
Watson appears to have written off Boudjellal’s offer due to the demand for
Springbok matches, “There is not way to get two Bok Tests. I had to beg
to get just one,” Watson told a source.
If the Boudjellal offer does fall through the reported ZAR80 Million debt remains
which is a huge concern for SA Rugby as the Kings expenses will drastically
increase with their inclusion in Super Rugby.
