Sarries’ £5m fine to be split among rivals

PREMIERSHIP clubs will receive a cash injection of around £490,000 each after it was decided to distribute Saracens’ £5.36million fine between their rivals. Sarries were found guilty of a salary cap breach in November and also docked 35 points. ‘We did not beg or even ask for the money — the process has been decided by Premiership Rugby and we are not going to turn it down,’ one club told The Sunday Times. Exeter Chiefs have been particularly vocal in their criticism of Saracens and have said the punishment is not sufficient. They are demanding that Saracens return trophies and should even have their titles expunged from the records. Premiership Rugby have, so far, resisted. Chiefs chairman Tony Rowe is expected to make another statement, following the news of the cash share, with the club declining to make any comment after their win over London Irish yesterday. Nigel Wray, the Saracens chairman at the heart of the scandal, announced his retirement last Thursday. The club finally issued an apology over the weekend. Wray, who is worth £315m, left after a Sportsmail investigation highlighted investment irregularities with players Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Richard Wigglesworth and Billy and Mako Vunipola. Returning chief executive Ed Griffiths said Saracens would ensure that they are ‘within the salary cap for this season as well as for future seasons. As a club, we have made mistakes and we unreservedly apologise for those mistakes.’