Kings consortium chairman Loyiso Dotwana says the franchise’s new owners want to build a winning team.
The Kings announced on Monday that they would become the first privately-owned franchise in the country.
According to The Herald, the consortium made up of five businesspeople – Dotwana, Gary Markson, Rory Stear, Kenny Govender and Vuyo Zitumane – will own 76% of the franchise, with EP Rugby owning the remaining 24%.
The new owners are determined to help change the Kings’ fortunes, after they lost 20 of their 21 matches in last season’s Pro14.
‘We want to win matches here at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and that is what it is about,’ Dotwana told The Herald. ‘Winning is what is going to bring crowds back to the stadium. This has to be a successful franchise.
‘If you look at the history of the franchises in South Africa, they are all battling,’ he added. ‘If you look at recent statements from SA Rugby, they are looking at curtailing the player numbers in franchises. They have become financially unsustainable.
‘We don’t want to fall into that same trap. The Kings have to be commercially viable.’
Photo: Fredlin Adriaan
