Eastern Province Kings Chief Operating Officer, Debbie Ellis confirmed today the appointment of Kings Academy Manager Robbi Kempson as the head coach for the 2016 Currie Cup season.
The former Springbok and Sharks front rower joined the EP coaching staff in 2009 and were appointed manager of the newly established Kings Academy in 2010. Kempson have had much success within the Kings junior structures over the last five years, with both the U19s and U21s gaining promotion to their respective A Divisions.
Despite the current financial situation at the Union, and the loss of a number of senior players, preparations are well underway to field a competitive side for the competition.
"Our focus has been on retaining the up and coming talent that the Kings Academy has been developing,” said Ellis.
“A number of the players currently training with the team are Academy players, as well as members of last year’s U19 and U21 Currie Cup squad, who have come through the local school structures and are the future stars of the region,” she said.
Kempson said he was looking forward to coaching the Currie Cup side and to working with the players.
“There has been a lot of hard work put in over the past five years, since the Academy was established, to identify and develop talented players from the region and to keep them here.”
“The purpose of creating a career pathway for these players within the province, where they are given exposure through the junior competitions before going into Currie Cup and then potentially into Super Rugby and on to represent South Africa, cannot simply fall away due to the current challenges being faced,” he said.
The provisional squad have been holding regular training and conditioning sessions at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
The EP Kings Currie Cup assistant coaches and team management will be announced next week and the EP Kings squad later this month.
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