Southern Spears

The Southern Spears, were a South African rugby union franchise who were originally 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. A new Super Rugby team is planned to be based out of Port Elizabeth from 2009, but it will be called the Southern Kings and is not connected with the former outfit.