King of Kings

Qondakele Sompondo has become the first reader to win our Maybru competition with this response to Quintin van Jaarsveld's column 'Kings of controversy'.

I couldn't agree more with Quintin's article. I am a strong Southern Kings supporter, and have written numerous articles about this in the past.

I maintain that Cheeky, his entire administration, and technical team have literally failed South African Rugby by the way they handled this whole Southern Kings matter.

A commitment was made in 2009 when they were give the British Lions match. Alan Solomons had been building a teams since then but he decided to buy ready-made players that were nearing the end of their rugby careers with hope that they will win him promotion to Currie Cup A Section, but they failed dismally.

He put together a very expensive outfit that was first led by De Wet Barry and later Luke Watson. For four years, these guys couldn't even win a Vodacom Cup tournament which is played against second best teams of the five franchises.

Therefore he cannot come back now and say he only knew in August that he will play Super Rugby, that's pure lies and general lack of corporate ethics.

Cheeky missed out on a genuine opportunity to do something unique.

He was given a franchise on the basis that he will assist SA Rugby tap on the untapped "Black' talent of this country. Instead he opted to be the same as everyone, and that's why all of us now question the original intentions of championing the franchise. Was it a mere business venture from the onset?

By Qondakele Sompondo