A mass clearout of players is on the cards as the new owners of the Isuzu Southern Kings prepare to give their team a radical overhaul.
It is believed that as many as 20 players will be shown the door, as the Kings attempt to improve their dreadful record in the Guinness PRO14.
This season the Kings have won only two of their 19 games and are second from bottom in the PRO14 Conference B table.
The Kings have 49 players on their books, and many are expected to be considered surplus to requirements.
It is believed that money saved from fewer players will be used to fund the arrival of new players.
Kings chief operating officer Charl Crous, who will leave the franchise in May to take up a position at PRO14’s headquarters in Dublin, said a Kings squad analysis was being conducted. “We want to make sure that by July 1, most of our group have been contracted,” Crous said.
“Our director of high performance Robbi Kempson is busy with squad analysis.
“We cannot give numbers at the moment because the entire review process is ongoing.
“We will be able to shed more light on that in the next few days.”
Asked whether 20 Kings players were in line for the chop, Kings head coach Deon Davids said: “I cannot elaborate on that, but it’s that time of the season where contracts come to an end and you look at the quality of your squad.
“So that is a process that we are busy with.
“Things will unfold and we will have more news about that.”
Last week, the Kings agreed on a memorandum of understanding with French club Toulon in a move that will see a close working relationship between the two sides.
It is hoped that they will loan players to the Kings to bolster the Port Elizabeth side in the PRO14.“We will decide in terms of the players we want and negotiate that with Toulon from our side,” Crous said.“So I don’t think it will just be a one-sided affair.“The arrangement is what you make of it from both sides.“For us to just become a feeder for Toulon is not the intention of this agreement,” he said.“We are looking to be able to get the quality of player that currently you cannot just go out and contract.“You have to make arrangements with certain clubs for loan players.”Last week, Kings deputy chair Rory Stear and Crous travelled to France, where they met Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal to conclude an agreement which will see an immediate close working relationship between the SA franchise and French club.This is a ground-breaking partnership with an iconic club that has been crowned European champions no fewer than three times.Lions centre Howard Mnisi arrived at the Kings for a medical trial on Monday and Courtney Winnaar has been signed from the Sharks.The Kings play their final home game of the PRO14 season against the Ospreys at the Madibaz Stadium on Friday.