Yaw Penxe and CJ Velleman are among the players to have extended their contracts with the Kings, the union announced on Wednesday.

Velleman, Penxe, as well has young hooker Tango Balekile and centre Sibusiso Sithole, have all committed their futures to the Kings as the franchise continues to build their squad for the 2019-20 Pro14 season.

Penxe, who finished last season as the team’s top try-scorer with eight tries, has signed a two-year extension with the side. He initially joined during the 2017 Vodacom Super Rugby season.

Velleman, who is widely regarded as one of the most exciting openside flankers in South Africa, has extended his commitment by another three years.

Meanwhile, Sithole, who made a successful injury comeback in the latter parts of the season, has signed on along with 23-year-old Balekile, who will stay with the team until 2022.

Kings high-performance director, Robbie Kempson, expressed his excitement at the contract renewals of the four players.

‘We are pleased that Yaw Penxe, CJ Velleman, Tango Balekile and Sbura Sithole have committed to staying and being a part of the exciting squad that we are building for the future.

‘These are quality players who have proven their worth in the Southern Kings jersey. We look forward to their continued growth, commitment and dedication towards a competitive team.’

Kempson confirmed that negotiations with other players for contract renewals and recruitment of new personnel are still in progress, and further developments will be announced in due course.

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