Guinness PRO14 chiefs have raised concerns over the under-performing Southern Kings’ value to the competition.
And the new owners of the team admit they are “on a tightrope” with the league.
The Port Elizabeth-based Kings have won just three of their 39 matches since joining the cross-border competition in the autumn of 2017.
They lie one from bottom of Conference B, just a point ahead of the Dragons, having finished rock bottom last season.
The other South African team to join the league - the Cheetahs of Bloemfontein - have been competitive, winning 18 of their 39 matches and making the play-offs last season.
But the Kings have struggled badly on the field and have also found it hard to generate crowds.
This season their average attendance is just 2,985 and they have moved matches from the 48,000-capacity Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to the much smaller Madibaz Stadium, a university ground with a 15,000 capacity.
According to the chairman of the company which has recently taken over the team, they now find themselves under close scrutiny from league bosses.
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“The PRO14 organisation has raised concerns about the Southern Kings’ performances and value to the tournament,” said Loyiso Dotwana.
“We are on a tightrope with PRO14.”
But Dotwana is adamant the Kings will turn things round and his company’s name certainly suggests high confidence.
He is the chairman of The Greatest Rugby Company in the Whole Wide World Ltd‚ which bought a 74 per cent stake in the Kings for approximately R45m (£2.3m) last month.
He says they will look to ensure the team’s PRO14 survival by signing players and bolstering the coaching staff.
“We will respond to these challenges in a positive way,” he said.
“We will recruit some good players in the short term to improve our quality.
“Also‚ coach Deon Davids hasn’t had the right support, so we will help him by employing some new assistants and expertise.”
Dotwana and several associates have vowed they are invested for the long-term to create a top class team in Port Elizabeth.
“There is an expectation that we will throw money at a whole bunch of marquee players, but that’s not the case,” he told TimesLIVE.
“Obviously we are looking for a few big names to bolster the side‚ but the plan is steady growth and improvement.
“In the coming year, we want to build a foundation to be sustainable in the long run.
“As investors we are not in this for three years‚ we are in this for a long time.”
He added: “My message to players about coming to the Kings is simple.
“Firstly‚ we are an ambitious team and we are putting together the necessary human and financial resources to meet that ambition.
“Secondly‚ we are going to instil a high level of accountability across the board because the goal is to be a high performance franchise.
“Lastly we want to have fun within that framework. If a player subscribes to those principles they will be very welcome here.”
