The troubled Southern Kings will continue to lose players admitted Robbie Kempson in an interview with the Herald Live.
Elrigh Louw, loose forward already signed at the Vodacom Bulls while Thembelani Bholi has joined Griquas on a loan deal for the Currie Cup. Cameron Wright, Yaw Penxe, Jacques du Toit and Bobby de Wee are expected to follow soon.
“We have already lost the most important player, and one who did have quite an impact on SA rugby in his career, in Elrigh Louw,” Kempson said.
“He did get his opportunity as a U20 player at the Kings and he was a standout throughout our PRO14 season.
“We are going to lose players of Elrigh’s calibre to other SA provinces. There is no question of that.
“Apart from SA provinces, even more so to overseas clubs and perhaps in the French league.
“We have a guy like Tiaan Botes, who is only 18 years old and he has a PRO14 cap behind him.
“A French club would certainly have a look at a guy like that to take into their stable. It is a concern and a worry.
“Potentially the only candle at the end of the tunnel is most of the squad have been assembled regarding their structures for the Currie Cup and going forward.
“There is always a concern that we will lose athletes who are progressing very nicely into the high-performance environment and that they will in turn get better opportunities elsewhere.
“We have been down this road before and we always seem to be in a rebuilding phase.
“But potentially with the market being as diluted as it is now regarding transfers, that will assist us.”
“We are not in a position to offer contracts to anyone,” Kempson said. We have not been for much of this year.
