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Damning 103-page report reveals the extent of Saracens' salary cap breaches
After outcry from rugby fans and professionals alike, the content of the comprehensive report outlining Saracens’ salary cap breaches has finally been revealed.
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Saracens, who were fined £5.3m for going over the £7m Guinness Premiership salary ceiling for the 2019/2020 season were also deducted 35 competition points in November, which effectively ruled them out of playoff contention for the current year. Things went from bad to worse for the current champions earlier this month when it was revealed that the club would, in fact, be automatically relegated at the end of the season – regardless of their final points tally.
The exact breaches committed by the club have been shrouded in secrecy, but Sky News has now revealed the various misdemeanours that will ultimately lead to the Saracens playing in England’s second-tier Championship next season.
A 103-page report was prepared to outline the disciplinary process, including all the various considerations of the decision-making panel, chaired by former British judge Lord Dyson.
The panel ultimately agreed that automatic relegation would be too comprehensive a punishment for the club.
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“We accept that the breaches were not deliberate, but in our view they were reckless,” the report said. “We consider that to impose a deduction of 70 points in one salary cap year is disproportionate and is not required to satisfy the underlying purpose of the relegations.”
Regardless of the panel’s ultimate findings, questions must be raised concerning the competency or the honesty of Saracens’ management.
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Although direct salaries paid to players did not breach the club’s spending cap, various other payments were made to benefit players, which the panel have found should count towards the cap.
The £7m cap was breached in three consecutive seasons, from 2016-17 until 2018-19. Over those three seasons, Saracens won two Premiership titles and two European titles.
The biggest contributors to the breach concerned star players Maro Itoje, Chris Ashton, and Mako and Billy Vunipola.
Could a season (or two) in the Championship actually benefit @Saracens internationals, or is Mark McCall just trying to convince his own men to stay put?https://t.co/MsKfvrCnq1 #PremiershipRugby
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 22, 2020
Club chairman Nigel Wray, who resigned amidst the controversy earlier this month after first investing in the club in the mid 90’s, was found to have made payments totalling over £1m by entering into a range of joint ventures with players.
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Wray also offered interest-free loans to the Vunipola brothers for the purchase and renovation of a home.
Lock Itoje was made a number of not-so-insignificant payments by a hospitality company based at Saracens – ostensibly to cover appearance fees for various events. However, the panel found that Itoje hadn’t actually made any such appearances which meant the payments were effectively simple salary benefits.
Wray and two other company directors also invested in an image rights company owned by Itoje. This, in of itself, would not have amounted to a breach, except for the fact that panel found the directors had paid £1.6m for shares valued at only half that amount.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7nNkNTF0pv/
Premiership Rugby asserted the benefits received by Itoje were made to compensate for his below-average salary in order to allow the club to come in under the salary cap.
With breaches totalling over £2m over the three seasons, Premiership Rugby have made the decision to relegate the club, despite the final comments of the panel.
Those comments are likely exactly why Saracens were happy for the report to be published, despite initial suggestions that the club wanted the report kept under wraps.
That being said, the suggestion that breaches were “not deliberate” brings into question the competency of Saracens’ management. A sensible director would not be comfortable significantly overspending on investments.
Explosive radio interview illustrates how the Saracens saga hasn't ended with last Saturday's automatic relegation https://t.co/IL6MK9Ta3X
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 21, 2020
Of course, the alternative – that Saracens knew exactly what they were doing – would be just as damning for the club’s reputation.
One factor the report does make clear is that no players are believed to have been complicit in the club’s actions – but that raises questions regarding why a global superstar such as Maro Itoje would be happy to receive a below-market pay-packet.
All in all, the report sheds light over the exact ‘mistakes’ made by Saracens management that have ultimately seen the club consigned to spending next season in the second tier.
Whatever way you look at it, Saracens won two England titles using a squad that no team would be able to assemble without breaching competition rules – intentionally or otherwise.
WATCH: Saracens Director of Rugby, Mark McCall, has confirmed that the club won’t be able to retain all their talent next season.
Comments on RugbyPass
Hi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
3 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
3 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to comments