The 2013 season could easily be the best season in the history of EP Rugby. From club level through to junior structures, varsity and senior level. The season however did not come without disappointment, but the union layed some solid foundations for the future.
Despatch Rugby Club won the first SARU Community Cup, previously known as the National Club Championship, when they beat College Rovers in the final. NMMU Madibaz reached the semi-final of the Varsity Cup for the first time since the start of the competition in 2008. Both the EP Kings u19 and u21s won their respective competitions. The EP Kings finished 3rd in the Southern Section of the Vodacom Cup.
At senior level the Southern Kings played their first season of Super Rugby. They did finish at the bottom of the log and did lose their Super Rugby status to the Lions, but it opened the door for so many fringe players making a name for themselves on an International stage. Probably the most memoral games would be their opening win against the Western Force at a packed Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and their draw against the 2013 runners up, Brumbies, in Australia. What good did SARU do to give the Southern Kings a single year in Super Rugby?
After a slow start to their 1st Division campaign, they recovered from their early loses to reach their 4th concecutive final in the ABSA Currie Cup 1st Division.
EP Rugby had a promising year and the future looked bright as SARU planned to include an extra two teams to the Premier Division of the Currie Cup, something special was happening in the Eastern Cape.
The Pumas qualified for the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division, after beating the EP Kings in the 1st Division Final and beating Griquas in the promotion/relegation matches.
A season in the 1st Division could be devastating for any Premier Division side essentially if it is one of your smaller unions. Losing sponsors and players being your biggest dangers. Look at what happened to the Leopards and Boland. For the 2014 season Griquas have lost 22 players, with the most notable being Willie le Roux and Lourens Adriaanse. With the uncertainty surrounding the EP Kings and their possible entry to the Premier Division, 32 players have decided to leave the province and play elsewhere. Many are against SARUs proposal of giving EP Rugby a "free ride" to the Premier Division of the Currie Cup and say they must earn their place. 32 players left, and with no draw card to lure players to the province, how can they put themselves in a position to earn a spot in the Premier Division.
The reality is, players want to play Super Rugby and Currie Cup. Would players like Steven Sykes, Andries Strauss or Demitri Catrakilis even have considered to come down to Port Elizabeth if the Southern Kings did not play Super Rugby. Would the Sharks have offered SP Marais a contract if he did not play Super Rugby, the same goes for Jacques Engelbrecht going to the Bulls. Would there have been any interest in Sergeal Petersen? Players like Wimpie van der Walt, Cornell du Preez and Schalk Ferreira getting contracts with overseas clubs. The same goes for Griquas playes like Riaan Viljoen, Willie le Roux and Lourens Adriaanse. Would le Roux and Adriaanse have played for the Springboks if they did not play Super Rugby for the Cheetahs.
Some of the best rugby schools are down in the Eastern Cape, some of your best players come from the Eastern Cape. It will only be a positive move for SA Rugby and EP Rugby if SARU introduces EP Rugby back to Premier Division Currie Cup rugby. Its a professional era and players have the option to play where they choose, but for most of the Eastern Cape boys its a case of forcing them to play elsewhere. Often playing for a different province means you second or third choice behind a local player, getting 5 or 10 minutes every Saturday. Let the EP Kings play Currie Cup, give the province and their players full exposure, they have shown us their commitment during Super Rugby, how much more will they achieve with a few seasons of Currie Cup Premier Division.
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