Southern Spears
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| Union | South African Rugby Union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 |
| Location | Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
| Region | Eastern Cape Province, Overberg, Central Karoo and Eden |
| Ground(s) | EPRU Stadium (Capacity: 33,852) |
The Southern Spears, were a South African rugby union franchise who were founded in 2005 and were intended to participate in Super 14 from 2007 onwards; however, their proposed entry into the competition led to considerable controversy within the country's rugby establishment. In April 2006, after concerns over the franchise's financial stability and sporting competitiveness, the Spears were denied entry into the Super 14. Following this, the Southern Spears effectively ceased to exist. In June 2009, the Southern Kings, a Port Elizabeth based Super Rugby team, was established and is not connected with the former outfit.
The Southern Spears originally had a core squad of 22 players, and are widely recognised as The People’s Team throughout the Eastern Cape and are drawn from, 6 players from Border, 4 from SWD and 12 from Eastern Province. Of the squad of 22, three were in the Springbok under-21 squad that took part in the under-21 World Championship. These were the Captain Ashley Johnson – No.8, Warren Malgas at No.9 and Isma-eel Dollie at flyhalf.
Following the High Court Ruling in mid-August, some have called into question how strong the Spears franchise would actually be in the 2006 Super 14 season. When the Spears future was cast into doubt, a lot of players were forced to join alternative clubs. Johnson signed with the Cheetahs, Dollie with the Western Province and Ashton Constant with the Pumas. In the three Unions that the Spears draw from, none are currently in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup.
The Spears were intended to draw players from the following unions that participate in South Africa's main domestic competition, the Currie Cup:
It was intended that the Spears would play at EPRU Stadium in Port Elizabeth, the city where the franchise was headquartered.
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