Lions out of Super Rugby, long live the Kings

The South African Rugby Union confirmed today that the Kings will replace the Lions in the 2013 Super Rugby competition.
Despite wining the 2011 Currie Cup, the Lions struggled all season in the Super Rugby to finish at the bottom of the table and their fate looked set when the announcement of the Southern Kings joining the Southern Hemisphere flagship competition was made last year.
The Kings (Eastern Cape) will now join this year’s Super Rugby finalists the Sharks and No.1 team after the regular season the Stormers as well as the most successful South African side in SuperRugby history the Bulls and the Cheetahs in the South African conference for the 2013 season.
The Lions will have the chance to regain their status in 12 months’ time when they’ll face the bottom team in 2013 in a two-legged promotion and relegation series.