Kings in making

A radical new proposal has dramatically cleared the path for the EP Kings to play Currie Cup Premier Division rugby next year.

This new development comes after two previous South African Rugby meetings were unable to reach agreement on whether the Kings should be elevated into an enlarged eight-team Premier League.

The new proposal will give the Kings automatic entry into the Premier Division, while the remaining lower tier teams will play a series of promotion games to decide which team fills the eighth spot.

Because the Kings will gain automatic promotion, they will forfeit their right to play a Super rugby promotion match against the team finishing bottom of the South African conference next season.

''This meeting will take place early in January and we are extremely confident the vote will go through, just as we were with Super rugby and the Sevens coming to Nelson Mandela Bay," Kings rugby boss Cheeky Watson said.

"The new plan to allow the other lower-tier teams to have a crack at promotion has altered the dynamics in South African rugby," Watson said.

''In a tele-conference you have to get 100% support from all the unions. There is the possibility of one dissenting voice and that is why a meeting has to take place," Watson explained.

While several unions were originally against the Kings being promoted, it is alleged Border are now the only dissenting voice.

''We are confident we will get a positive answer in January. The latest proposal was put forward after SA Rugby had a special meeting in Cape Town on Friday. It could not be discussed because of protocol and had to be delayed until January.

''The original proposal could not be withdrawn and another proposal put on the table. It does not work that way. A new proposal has to go through the whole system and be formatted and presented again. So that was why it was delayed until January."

While the Kings are guaranteed promotion, the remaining teams - Griquas, Falcons, Border, Boland, Griffons, Leopards and SWD Eagles - will play promotion games after the Vodacom Cup to decide which team fills eighth spot