Schalk Ferreira will captain the EP Kings in this season's Currie Cup.

The Kings have had to hurriedly assemble a squad for the Premier Division after they received an 11th-hour lifeline that saved them from a demotion to the First Division.

After the Kings' scheduled opener against Griquas was postponed last weekend, the Eastern Cape outfit will kick off their season against Boland in Port Elizabeth this Saturday.

Super Rugby players such as Ferreira, Cornel Hess and Martin Bezuidenhout have been included in the Kings' Currie Cup squad, along with the likes of Waylon Murray (from the Sharks), Sampie Mastriet (Lions) and Ricky Schroeder (Lions).

Barend Pieterse, who was the Kings' forwards coach in Super Rugby, will take over the head coach reins from Deon Davids for the domestic season.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that former Springbok Luke Watson has retired from rugby, with the 32-year-old having failed to earn inclusion in the Kings' Super Rugby squad earlier this year.

EP Kings squad – Schalk Ferreira (c), Justin Forwood, Caylib Oosthuizen, Barend Potgieter, Martin Bezuidenhout, Cullen Collopy, Mikey Willemse, Dolph Botha, Mzuvukile Sofisa, Tiny van Wyk, David Antoinites, Tazz Fuzani, Sebastian Ferreira, Cornell Hess, Henry Brandon Brown, Vincent Jobo, Christiaan de Bruin, Hendrik Grobbelaar, Jacques Fick, Ricky Schroeder, Pieter Steyn de Wet, Lungelo Goza, Kobus Marais, Sampie Mastriet, Minhele Mtwetwe, Burton Klaasen, Siphumelele Mstuwana, Waylon Murray, Johan Greyling, Alcino Izaacs, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Ganfried May, Johan Tromp.

Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images