KICK THEM OUT
Bombshell as Saracens docked 35 points and fined £5m for salary cap breach Guilty verdict follows Sportsmail exposé Rivals want champions relegated and may boycott matches
SARACENS have been docked 35 points and fined £5.36million after being found guilty of breaching the salary cap, in a bombshell ruling that follows Sportsmail’s investigation.
In a move that sent shockwaves through the rugby world yesterday, and prompted a seething response and an appeal from Saracens, the all-conquering north London club received the biggest sanction in the history of the Premiership.
Despite the unprecedented severity of the sanctions, Sarries’ rivals called for harsher punishments, with Exeter even threatening to boycott the forthcoming Premiership fixture between the clubs.
Tony Rowe, chairman and chief executive of Exeter Chiefs, said the penalty was too lenient and that Saracens should be thrown out of the Premiership. Asked about the prospect of a boycott of their fixture on December 29, he
said: ‘We will consider it.’ Others called for them to be stripped of the titles they won while they were breaching the cap — two Premierships and two European Cups. But retrospective action is not possible in the rules.
Sarries immediately appealed, meaning they will play on Saturday against Gloucester still on nine points rather than bottom on -26 points. The appeal could delay the whole process until the new year, throwing the season into chaos.
The club, who had nine of their players feature for England at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, are contesting the findings of the independent three-person panel led by a former Supreme Court judge, who ruled that they had ‘failed to disclose payments to players in each of the seasons 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19’.
‘In addition, the club is found to have exceeded the ceiling for payments to senior players in each of the three seasons,’ the panel ruled, in reference to Premiership Rugby (PRL)’s £7million salary cap.
Sportsmail understands that club bosses have demanded an urgent discussion with PRL that does not involve Saracens.
The breach is understood to relate to co-investment arrangements between the club’s multimillionaire owner Nigel Wray and star players including England captain Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Billy and Mako Vunipola, which were revealed by a Sportsmail exposé in March this year. Saracens, who informed players of the judgment yesterday, said they were ‘ shocked and disappointed by these heavy-handed sanctions’. Wray, who is worth an estimated £315m and has been involved with Saracens since 1995, said he was ‘absolutely devastated’ by the decision.
Rowe, whose club have battled with Sarries for supremacy over recent seasons, told Sportsmail: ‘I am unhappy about the whole situation. Of course they were going to appeal it, but it means that effectively we will all be playing them this season with one hand tied behind our back.
‘We are a bit upset that we lost a couple of titles to a club that we understand have broken the regulations. You feel really sorry for your own players. All right, they were beaten by a better team on the day but only a better team because somebody has spent considerably more on assembling that team than you have spent.’
John Kingston, the former Harlequins director of rugby, said: ‘The general consensus within the game is that the £5m-plus fine and the points deduction cannot rectify what has gone on for years.
‘I have to say I will not be alone in thinking the trophies and medals Saracens won during the proven period should be taken from them.’
Wray added in his statement: ‘For over 25 years, I have put my heart and soul into the game I love. Together we have created something incredibly special with the Saracens family, both on and off the field. This is absolutely devastating for everyone associated with this amazing group of players, staff, partners and fans. It has been acknowledged by the panel that we never deliberately sought to mislead anyone or breach the cap and that’s why it feels like the rug is being completely pulled out from under our feet.’
The club also issued a statement. ‘Saracens is pleased the panel acknowledged it did not deliberately attempt to breach the salary cap and steadfastly maintains that player co-investments do not constitute salary under the regulations.’
In light of Sarries’ appeal, Sport Resolutions, who convened the independent panel chaired by Rt Hon Lord Dyson QC that reached yesterday’s verdict, will now have to find three more panel members to conduct the review.
They may not begin until early 2020. The scope of it is limited and ‘can only be on the basis that there has been an error of law, the decision is irrational or there has been some procedural unfairness’. It has been eight months since
Sportsmail published the findings of a four-month investigation into Saracens, revealing the investment partnerships and property arrangements. The announcement of the sanction was pushed back during the Rugby World Cup so as not to distract England.
Worcester Warriors said: ‘Warriors support the action taken. The salary cap regulations are there for good reasons.’
Questions have been asked about how much the players involved in the arrangements knew about the salary cap implications, but there is no allegation of wrongdoing. Sportsmail understands the players are likely to escape any sanction.
Saracens declined to comment when asked if they will have to make any changes to their squad to comply with the salary cap, and whether the companies involving Wray and players would be closed. PRL declined to disclose the arrangements that were found to have breached the cap.
Additional reporting: MATT HugHeS and WILL KeLLeHeR