Foden: MLR tarnished by new salary cap row
FORMER England international Ben Foden fears Major League Rugby’s hard line stance over what are thought to be salary cap breaches could have a catastrophic effect on USA’s flagship club competition.
LA Giltinis and Austin Gilgronis, the top two teams in its Western Conference, have been thrown out of the end-of-season play-offs due to “a violation of league rules”, according to an MLR statement.
Both teams take their name from owner Adam Gilchrist, an Australian entrepreneur in the personal fitness industry, and
Foden fears the tycoon could now be driven away from the sport at a critical point in its development in the States, where MLR is only in its fifth season.
“I think this has been handled badly by the MLR,” said Foden, who has called time on his playing career after three seasons in MLR with RU New York. “I don’t think the league needs this sort of attention at the moment.
“More guys like him are needed in the MLIR. He has lots of money, deep pockets, he knows what rugby is about. He has built up two of the best-followed clubs in the league very quickly, and they are very much two teams that people that want to go and play for because the facilities are very good, the guys
get well looked after, and they look after their wives and their families. So it is disappointing they have done it this way.”
As a result of MLR’s decision, the Houston SaberCats will now host the Western Conference Final and play the winner of the Western Conference Eliminator between the Seattle Seawolves and San Diego Legion.”
In the east, Rugby ATL of Atlanta and Rugby New York will contest the eliminator, the winner progressing to the conference final against the New England Free Jacks.
“For me, whoever wins it this year, it will be a bit of a hollow victory because LA and Austin were the two best teams in the West Conference,” added Foden, who won 34 caps for England between 2009 and 2013.
“I understand there has to be rules and everyone has to align themselves with those rules but I think that the league is at such an early stage that more of a slap on the wrist, a fine, which he would have paid happily, would have the best way to sort it out.
“The whole thing with salary caps being put in place is that people find ways to bend them and eventually they cross the line and they punished, as we have seen in the past with Saracens.
“But the MLR is still learning and developing and new to this whole thing so it will be interesting to see what happens.
“My biggest worry is that someone like him with all his power and sway might completely throw his toys out of the pram and shut down both teams completely and the MLR would be without two very promising teams in the league.
“If you’re coming into MLR to make money you are going to be waiting 1015 years, and I just think losing someone like Adam Gilchrist at this point would be catastrophic for the league.”