Saracens bend the rules with bizarre Brendan Venter job title change

Saracens have responded to being fined for Brendan Venter’s refusal to carry out media duties by changing his job title to “head of rugby culture and wine consultant”.

As Director of Rugby, the job title still given to him on Saracens’ official website, the South African is honour bound by PREM Rugby regulations to speak to the press.

However, Saracens say they asked the league’s organisers permission in July for head coach Shaw to be their designated media person.

Shaw took Venter’s place at the pre-season content capture day at Allianz Stadium earler this month and has continued to fulfil those obligations, speaking to TNT Sports during their coverage of the London club’s impressive 40-38 victory at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Sunday.

RugbyPass reported that his no-show at Allianz Stadium resulted in the club being handed in a £5,000 fine, which is now believed to have grown to £8,000.

So, to circumnavigate any more trouble coming their way, The Telegraph reports that Saracens have informed PREM Rugby bosses of his new job title, which involves “culture, values and broader development of the playing and coaching environment”.

Venter, a fine wine lover, has never explained why he should be exempt from media duties, but his reluctance is thought to stem from his first spell at the club, when he was hit with a series of fines for publicly criticising officials.

It led to Venter’s conducting one post-match interview, with reporter Martin Gillingham, in the style of Mike Bassett, the fictional England football manager.

Venter insists his media snub is nothing personal. “I am anxious that the rugby journalists do not think I don’t like them and so I have asked our CEO Ed Coetzee to issue invitations to all the rugby journalists we are aware of and invite them to a wine-tasting at StoneX Stadium next month and I am happy to respond to any questions that they wish to ask me over a glass of wine,” he said.