South Africa to Cut Promotion-Relegation Play-offs for Super Rugby Competition

South Africa have revealed they alter their Super Rugby competition by cutting the promotion-relegation play-offs ensuring the bottom team in their conference this year will play in the 2015 competition.

Golden Lions were relegated last year and squeezed into the 2014 southern hemisphere championship by winning a two-leg play-off against bottom team Southern Kings.

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) decision will please the Lions, a Johannesburg outfit widely expected to anchor the South African conference.

Port Elizabeth-based Kings waived the right to a 2014 play-off after winning a ‘boardroom’ promotion to the Currie Cup, the oldest domestic inter-provincial rugby competition in the world.

They, defending champions Sharks, Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions and Western Province are guaranteed top-flight status for the next two seasons.

A qualifying competition among the other eight sides in the two-tier Currie Cup will fill the remaining two top-flight places.

Kings have been a thorn in the side of SARU for several years, given that they are based in the eastern Cape, home to most African rugby players.

The Kings’ Super 15 participation lasted just one season and they have consistently failed to earn promotion from the Currie Cup second division.

SARU want Kings included in an enlarged Super championship when the format of five teams each from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand expires at the end of next season.