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Ex-Springbok quotes Ronald Reagan as crisis fund-raiser launched for unpaid Kings
By Liam Heagney
Former Springboks midfielder Braam van Straaten has issued an emotional video message quoting ex-USA President Ronald Reagan in an attempt to raise funds for players and staff of the Southern Kings, the South African PRO14 franchise who went into liquidation last weekend.
With the Port Elizabeth-based club declared a busted flush, it has emerged that none of the Kings' 36 players and 16 coaches and staff were paid for the month of September and van Straaten, the 21-cap Bok who also played for Sale and Leeds in England, has called on the rugby family worldwide to help alleviate the pay crisis.
In a 33-second video, Kings assistant coach van Straaten said: "Good morning South Africa and the rugby fraternity around the world. The liquidation of the Kings is not a dream, it's our reality.
"As Ronald Reagan said and I quote, 'You can't help everyone but everyone can help someone'. These boys really do need your help. Please donate and show how much we care. I'm Braam van Straaten from the Southern Kings. Amen and God bless."
Kings were one of the two South African franchises to join the PRO14 in 2017 following their exclusion from Super Rugby. However, their results were dreadful, the club winning just four of its 55 matches and attracting minuscule attendances to its home games.
Faced with an accumulated deficit of R55m (£2.5m) and with zero income in prospect for the remainder of 2020, the Kings shareholders, the Eastern Province Rugby Union (EPRU) and SA Rugby, took the decision to go into voluntary liquidation.
“The hard fact is that the Kings are insolvent, with significant debts and zero assets and it would have been reckless of the board to continue to trade,” said board chairman Andre Rademan last weekend.
SA Rugby resumed ownership of a 74 per cent shareholding in the PRO14 Kings in June following the failure of the previous owners – the Greatest Rugby Company in the Whole Wide World (GRC) – to honour contractual commitments in relation to its purchase of the shares.
The GRC acquired the shareholding in January 2019 but were unable to deliver the promised turnaround, leaving the Kings struggling to build a sustainable business model.
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Latest Comments
No just because the personal is much better than last year. I've shown no antagonism of Crusader players, you must be confusing me with someone else.
I have critized Razor for picking players he knows occasionally?
I said I'm not surprised because of his style, he's more a grinder player like Cane, not going to show up on peoples radar until you see how bad the other choices are. This year players like Clarke have been on fire and just show a bit more.
Are you one of those posters continually taking it easy on Razor because he doesn't have his Crusaders stars available? Do you think the rugby world is going to up to him suddenly once Mo'unga returns? lol
Go to commentsJohn you have been beating this drum for a couple of years, if you get proven right get back to us.
The last recent and decent Aussie coach was Ewen McKenzie, he was undermined and forced out by a couple of slimy Aussie players who were given a free pass when they should have been disciplined.
So our history since McQueen is very checkered and it seems to make little difference whether we have an Aussie coach or a Kiwi coach. The players have been entitled for a long time and we had to hit bottom to get them back into reality and to stop thinking it is all about them.
Cheika was an OK coach but his 'go our and destroy the opposition' tactic worked for a while and then didn't.
Please give me a list of great Aussie coaches that I have missed.
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