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Green team coach Mzwandile Stick and Bongi Mbonambi during the virtual team announcement press conference on September 30, 2020 in Cape Town.
Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images
- National assistants Mzwandile Stick and Deon Davids, both former Kings coaches, have lamented the collapse of professional rugby in the region.
- The situation is particularly painful for Stick, whose rugby training as a player and coach took place in Port Elizabeth.
- A crowdfunding appeal has been created to provide financial assistance to Kings staff and players..
Mzwandile Stick and Deon Davids, the respective coaches from this weekend’s Springbok Showdown in Newlands, have expressed their sadness over the collapse of professional rugby in the Eastern Cape.
That implosion came to a head with the liquidation of the Southern Kings a few weeks ago, where the two national assistants have deep roots.
“Eastern Cape rugby is very close to my heart, as you know,” Stick said.
“It is very sad to see what is happening there, although I do not have many details of what is happening there. The Kings will always be part of me.”
Particularly frustrating for the 35-year-old is that his upbringing in rugby in Port Elizabeth provided him with significant opportunities, from becoming an excellent exponent and patron of Blitzbok to also making his way as a coach.
Stick was a notable mentor to the Eastern Province U19 team in a momentous provincial title in 2015 and then became an assistant coach for the Kings the following year before beginning his journey internationally.
“The Kings gave me the opportunity at a young age to become a player, they made me who I am today,” he said.
“I will always be grateful. It is very sad to see that things are not going well for them.”
Last week, Piet Heymans, executive director of the Sport Employees Unite union, launched a crowdfunding campaign to support staff and players.
Over R70,000 of the R260,000 target has been raised, with contributions from prominent names such as Lionel Mapoe, Eben Etzebeth and Swys de Bruin.
Davids, who led the franchise to a very respectable 11th in his last Super Rugby campaign in 2017, echoed Stick’s sentiments.
“I had a great privilege to be a part of the Southern Kings,” he said.
“There were special memories and I am very grateful for the opportunities there. It is never easy to be in the situation they are currently in and obviously my heart goes out to the players and to the entire region.
“It’s very sad, but there can be different reasons for the state of things. I still feel that with the talent pool across South Africa, as well as the Eastern Cape region that we produce, there will surely be more talented players coming out of there.” . . “
