Leicester fined £47k for salary-cap breach

Leicester Tigers have been fined £47,000 for their latest historical salary-cap breach, which occurred in the 2019-20 season.

The Tigers, who are seventh in the Premiership, were fined nearly £310,000 two years ago following the conclusion of a Premiership Rugby investigation into salary-cap compliance for the seasons 2016-17 to 2020-21. Within that investigation, Leicester were found to have breached the cap by almost £98,600 in 2019-20.

Premiership Rugby yesterday announced that additional payments of £47,136.91 had been identified relating to Leicester’s cap spend in 2019-20, although this was “a separate matter” to the £310,000 fine the Tigers received in 2022.

A Premiership Rugby statement added: “These payments relate to salary during the Covid-19 period, which had not been included in the club’s certification for the 2019-20 salary-cap year. Leicester Tigers have paid the overrun tax in full.”

In their own statement, Leicester confirmed they had accepted and paid the £47,136.91 “overrun tax”, again highlighting the breaches occurred under the club’s previous regime, overseen for the most part by chief executive Simon Cohen.

“While disappointed to again have historic salary-cap spending relating to the 2019-20 season result in this overrun tax, we accept the findings of Premiership Rugby,” Andrea Pinchen, the Leicester chief executive, said. “As was the case in March 2022, this in no way relates to any of the most recent four seasons and we are grateful to Premiership Rugby for the cooperative approach in bringing this to a close.

“We have accepted and paid the overrun tax and the current club management – who inherited this issue – have a great respect for the salary-cap regulations and remain committed to ensuring Leicester Tigers is compliant every season.”

In 2020, Saracens were relegated after being found to have breached the salary cap in three consecutive seasons – albeit by far greater amounts than Leicester.

In 2016-17, Saracens overspent by more than £1.1 million. In 2017-18, it was just over £98,000, and in 201819 the figure was £906,000.