Springbok looseforward Luke Watson today announced via twitter that he will be leaving Bath RFC and will be joining the Eastern Province Kings .
Watson commented this morning via the social media site Twitter.com that he had some some big news that he would share with his followers later on in the day, 4 hours later he posted this comment “It’s official- I’ve signed for the Kings! I’ll be joining them in June/July 2011. An official statement has been released with more details.”
Watson has signed a 3 year deal with the Kings and will be part of their second attempt to achieve CC Premier Division status as well as be part of the EP Super Rugby squad should they be allowed to join the competition.
Watson joined Bath from Western Province in 2009 after failing to make the Currie Cup final with the Cape based side being beaten by a late Morne Steyn penalty in the dying minutes.
Tweet
Dragons!!
Hehehe, not entirely unexpected is it?
Very good signing!!
King Luke returns!! WOOHOO!!
Watch out Willem Alberts!!
@wpw (Comment 3) : Duck and hide boykie
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 4) :
Where is everyone??
Why is the site so quiet today? Is it because the Sharkboks lost on Sat?
@molly (Comment 7) :
Don’t you know its the coach’s fault!!
But had they won you can imagine the cries of ‘Maak die CC Sharks almal Bokke’
Good on Luck Luke: backing his words with principles, and obviously taking a huge pay cut.
One may not like him, but must respect this.
Ja, good luck to Luke. Can expect to hear Skeato signing on with them shortly as well. I’m sure he’d love to be in the same team as his best mate again.
How long did the Sharks sign him for?
Good news for the Kings! Also sounds like Luke has matured a lot during his time spent away from SA. The move to Bath was a good choice at the right time.
Really, really happy for Luke. And fantastic to see a player put his principles (whether you agree with them or not) in front of a paycheque.
And he’s been playing some great rugby at Bath.
That’s very Cheeky of Luke to sign for the Kings :lame:
Well good luck to him! He is a good rugby player but at least Alberts made sure he’ll never become a Bok
@molly (Comment 7) : it’s cos I had to go to London to waste 5 hours applying for a visa
@robdylan (Comment 14) : so it should pick up now?
”will be part of their second attempt to achieve CC Premier Division status” – they’r enot even in the CC and they want to be in the Super15?? With Puke leading them nogal? Shame.
Good news for SA rugby in general. It will be great if EP can again become a decent side. Luke is exactly what they need right now – a form player with good leadership qualities.
Daddy’s little captain,this was only a matter of time.
So it didn’t take bath long to realise he is a disruptive influence, did it?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 19) : Huh?He was their captain dude
@rhineshark (Comment 17) : good leadership? He is an “I’ll do it all myself” leader. Anyway I for one am happy he’s back.
Now I can lay off Victoria.
@molly (Comment 15) : well, no – cos the wife made me go to the shops
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 20) : WAS. And they ARE doing much worse than usual.
well – brace yourselves friends. Sharksworld are going to speak to the man
@robdylan (Comment 24) :
@KSA Shark © (Comment 23) : Thats cause Butch is injured… he is the difference between winning and losing. Hope he get’s all better for the WC.
@robdylan (Comment 24) : can I suggest an opening question? Is the rumour about why he keft the Sharks true?
KSA Shark
If he is such a disruptive player why did his fellow WP AND Stormers players vote him their Player of the Year in 2009??
@molly (Comment 26) :
I’ve noticed Luke hasn’t been Capt. for some time. Has he been injured?
@wpw (Comment 28) : he told them to?
The ep union must have a lot of backin financially but what happens if nothing materialises in terms of supr rugby and currie cup,do these big shots pull out n ep goes to the dark days…wonder how long they must of given the coaching staff and the union to perform miracles.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 29) : Ja, I think he has. He had scans and stuff done and think it was concussion related. Oh, is that why Bath is doing badly?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 27) : everyone grows up and regrets the stupid stuff they said when they were younger. I’m keen to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Wasn’t the rumour that he tried to nob somebody else’s wife?
@molly (Comment 32) : He has a brain????
I thought he only had a mouth. 
Heared about this a while ago, not the Kings signing, but Luke wanting to return to SA. A very good signing by the Kings, good luck to all the parties.
@robdylan (Comment 33) : Somebody else as in the Captain’s wife.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 34) : KSA, are you a champion grudge holder?
@robdylan (Comment 33) : Help us ignorant fools and supply us with the answers to the ‘Ultimate Fan’ competition questions. Would like to know which I got wrong and which I couldnt find etc
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 38) : well – I can’t reveal the anwers while the competition is running, now can I?
Rest assured, all will be revealed once we have declared a winner!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 36) : KSA, I believe that story about as much as I believe in the illuminati and the abominable snowman
@robdylan (Comment 40) : The illuminati is real.
@robdylan (Comment 39) : I wouldn’t have it any other way
@robdylan (Comment 40) & @Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 41) : you can see signs of them in any Lady Gaga video, if that doesn’t mean its true then I don’t know…
@molly (Comment 37) : until the guy proves he can play good rugby WITHOUT shooting his mouth off I won’t give him a break.
What’s the bet he gets to the Kings and shoots his mouth off in the press straight away.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) : Stormers captain, Bath captain and now Kings captain. He obviously has leadership qualities, whatever people think of his leadership style.
Look, I dislike the dude with a passion but I think at the moment he is exactly what the Kings need – someone who can spark a team by doing the leading from the front.
Come on KSA: give the guy a break until he proves he deserves otherwise. Lukey has already said he regrets the way he went about things when he was younger.
looks like I’m going to have to pack the wife and kids into the Qashqai and head out to Bath to get this interview.
He certainly seems to have gained a bit of perspective since leaving SA. As long as he can avoid leading questions from the media once he’s back in SA I think he’ll do fine. I doubt he’ll be as outspoken as he was when he left.
@robdylan (Comment 24) :
Well done my man!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 44) :
Well dude he captained WP rugby from 10th on the Super rugby table to a home semi final in the CC, got WP’s player of the year and player’s player of the year in 2009 – so make up your own mind if he can play this game…
@robdylan (Comment 47) : There are worse places for a quick jaunt
Also got the one and only JLP lined up for Wednesday
Ja, Bath is nice. But not quick from here… A good 4 hours each way
@rhineshark (Comment 45) :
if he was that valuable to Bath then why would they let him go so easily?
@Big Fish (Comment 46) : When he was younger? He was still sprouting all sorts of rubbish when he left SA a little over a year ago.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 54) : I don´t know. Players like Francois Steyn and Ruan Pienaar were valuable to the Sharks but we let them go quite easily.
@wpw (Comment 28) : That is just like saying that the kids at school choose the headboy because they vote.imo
@KSA Shark © (Comment 54) : Didn’t someone say in a book that luke watson was the cancer of the team,or something like that.
Honey Badger
Most of the senior Boks dislike Luke because Jake and Luke didn’t get along.
The fact that he allegedly said he felt like puking on the Bok jersey didn’t help matters!
He did however apologise and admitted he made mistakes which doesn’t happen often enough.
I suppose you’ve never ever made a similar mistake in your life hey??
@wpw (Comment 58) : I have said a lot of things that I probably should not have,but I also apologized for it even if I did not mean it.
@rhineshark (Comment 55) : Yes they did, because they are that type of club. Bath on the otherhand are not that type of club, they fought tooth and nail to keep Butch.
Why? because Butch is valuable to them maybe?
@wpw (Comment 58) : Allegedly!?!?!?
There was nothing alleged about it. It was on tape. He was furious about it being released as it was supposedly a private affair.
The onle thing alleged about him is that he IS the cancer in a team, and even that need not be alleged.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 61) : And look how well the Stormers and Province did when he left. I am sure he will do wonders at EP kings, they can’t really do any worse. The thing I have to question is where are all the opportunities for young black players to develop, that Daddy Watson is bragging about. They should have followed the Bigger unions and developed the talent that they undoubtedly have in that area, instead of buying a whole lot of has beens!! They will become a force with Allan Solomons at the helm, but I thought the whole point was to give the local talent an opportunity??
Whindy, I think it’s chicken and egg. The Kings first have to fight for their place at the table by doing whatever is necessary to start winning. They need to build a following and the best way to do that is to have a smattering of stars or name players who will draw fans to the team. I think Watson is a superb buy for them as he has roots in the area and is a popular figure to many in that region
@robdylan (Comment 63) : Agreed , but I would like to see them keeping local players like that young lock the Sharks have just bought, from that fine institution Queens College, and they have not done that (I am open to correction) but if the Kings are to work they have to have a feeder system with young talent coming through, not just getting promotion. The fan base is there, people in the EC are hungry for rugby the turnout at the British Lions and the Promotion/Relegation game has proved that. My bugbear is all the talk about opportunities for players in the area and I do not see that being implemented. Allan Solomons will not stay in PE forever, why is Watson (SNR) not using the opportunity to bring in promising players and develop something long term, not just promotion into the Curry Cup, which they should be able to do without stars, surly the East Cape has a similar player base to that of the Pumas and you cannot tell me there coach is better than Solomons?? My argument is the long term future of East Cape Rugby is not being looked after and we will end up with nothing, if he does not develop an academy which will bring though the talent and more importantly retain the local talent but nobody will stay if there are better opportunities elsewhere. I heard he had plenty of sponsors ready to back him as well. Now walk the talk!! I am an East Cape Boy, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT STRONG AGAIN!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 60) : In fighting over Butch, who is as injury prone as a calcium deficient chihuaua carrying a large rucksack down a mountain, both clubs showed a lack of common sense in that little tussle.
@Whindy (Comment 64) :
Whindy
I dont agree mate!!
In order for the Kings to keep their young up and coming players surely they need to offer them at least CC rugby!!
I get what you’re saying regarding opportunities for players in the area but for now they need to get into the Premier Division.
Once they’ve achieved that the players will be more than willing to stay and play for their home union.
@Whindy (Comment 64) : which young lock? Did I miss one?
@wpw (Comment 66) :You have to have both, young talent will keep it going longer than one year in CC.EP always had the talent to be competitive in the CC why not now? There Club rugby is a fiasco, the administration has been corrupt as all hell and it has been allowed to fall into the mire. Mr Watson needs to develop a side that can be competitive and more importantly he has to show the local talent that he is interseted in them, not just buying a team to get him into the CC or Super 15!!
@molly (Comment 7) :
Its because we were still in shock, and awe at how your future WP coach manage to get our Sharkies to regress to a forgotten era.
@Salmonoid (Comment 69) : haha, no we’re putting our money into getting Henry or Deans when one (or both) of them loses the WC.
@robdylan (Comment 67) : Sorry Prop not lock. He is the current head boy, Dell. Funnily enough his dad (Stephen) was just behind me at school and he was a skinny speedy wing , must have married a good strong farm girl;-)
@Salmonoid (Comment 69) : Look, you guys would only be able to regress when Strauss got picked, he is not really a dynamic player, is he?
@Whindy (Comment 71) : oh right – Allan Dell. Yes. Great youngster. Super excited about him.
Im stoked they went ahead and signed Luke but what the hell are they doing signing Ross Kennedy from the Highlanders?Paul Perez and Ross Kennedy, not exactly homegrown talent.
@molly (Comment 70) : I like that thinking.
@Salmonoid (Comment 75) : I like to call it high hopes
@molly (Comment 72) : Not nearly as dynamic as Habana, Burger, Fourie, Aplon and a host of other WP boytjies – all of whom have nothing to show for it.
@molly (Comment 76) :
Imagine targeting the top 3 national coaches to coach your provincial team – that does give new meaning to “high hopes”
@Salmonoid (Comment 77) : I never said WP were great, but I promise you with Fourie or JdJ there the dynamicness would be raised by about 200%. Also, I think Habana has a few things to show, maybe not with WP, but he has one or two medals at home.
@Salmonoid (Comment 78) : Honest question, do you think Coetzee will get the bok job next?
And did you just rate PdV up there with Henry and Deans?
Every time I see a comment on how WP/Lions/Cheetahs don’t deserve a chance cause they aren’t CC winners, I’m going to retaliate with “I have 2 winners cups, therefore I am better than you and you can add no value, na na na naaa naaa”.
Such a pointless/childish debate.
@molly (Comment 80) :
Coetzee will be a very strong contender.
And yes I do rate PdV up there with Henry and Deams…..on entertainment value.
@molly (Comment 79) :
Take Habana away from this glory boy, cult hero status he now lives with and it will be a start in getting him back to the real Habana
@Salmonoid (Comment 77) : oh, I forgot, some of those also have these WC medals, but I realise they don’t compete with a CC one
@molly (Comment 84) :
Talk about regressing then – the CC should have been a cinch then.