Investigation into Saracens' salary cap passed on to independent body - reports
Eyebrows were raised earlier this year when co-investments between Saracens owner Nigel Wray and current and former Saracens players were found to exist.
Wray was listed with Companies House as a director alongside players such as Owen Farrell, Richard Wigglesworth and the Vunipola brothers in companies Faz Investments Ltd, Wiggy9 Investments Limited and VunProp Ltd.
The Premiership launched an investigation in March into whether or not Saracens were compliant with the salary cap in the wake of these details coming to light, although the organisation have not made any public comment on the status of the investigation or whether or not it had yet concluded.
According to Sportsmail, however, it seems the investigation is still ongoing, with the Premiership’s salary cap manager, Andrew Rogers, having passed on the case to an independent body.
The Premiership salary cap is currently set at £7million, although that can be overspent legally through the contracting of two marquee players, the creation of credits from senior England internationals and through medical joker signings. Should Saracens be found guilty of illegally overspending, there are some fairly serious repercussions for the club.
Saracens salary cap storm transferred to independent panel as Premiership Rugby escalate case | @LauraLambert8 | @FoyChris https://t.co/qsDYBL0Ovz
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) September 3, 2019
There is in place an overrun of £350,000, in which a club will not be deducted points. If a club overspends by £50k, they will be taxed 50p for every £1 spent, while an overspend between £50k and £200k will result in a tax of £1 on every £1 spent. Beyond £200k, clubs will be taxed £3 on every £1 spent.
This occurred to Harlequins when they were found to have exceeded the 2017/18 salary cap by £12,479. They were deemed not to have deliberately broken the regulations and no further action was taken beyond the paying of the taxed overrun.
With the number of current senior England internationals a club has – and thus credits to be received – fluctuating depending on the England head coach, the taxed overrun allows clubs a buffer for something which largely falls out of their control. Once the overrun goes beyond £350k, however, there are more serious penalties to be applied.
A breach of between £350k and £400k incurs a five-league-points penalty deduction, a breach between £400k and £450k a 10-league-points deduction and so on in those increments up to a 35-league-points deduction for exceeding the cap by over £650k. This league point penalties are in addition to fines, which are again taxed at £3 for every £1 of overspend. Should a club be found to have broken the salary cap by an amount of £650k or more, they would be faced with a 35-league-points deduction and a fine of at least £1.95m.
When the possibility of Saracens being in breach of the salary cap first came to light, the club promptly issued a statement, ahead of the Premiership investigation. “The club readily complies with Premiership Rugby salary regulations and information relating to remuneration is declared to the salary cap manager,” it stated.
“Although co-investment partnerships between owners and players are not a prerequisite of the salary regulations, we disclose these transactions to Premiership Rugby and will continue to do so. Currently, 57 per cent of the men’s squad is comprised of homegrown talent – the highest in the Premiership. These players not only produce results on the pitch, they help entitle the club to £1.2m in credits above the baseline salary cap from the RFU and Premiership Rugby.
“This is a direct result of our significant investment in the Saracens academy which nurtures and develops Saracens and England players of the future.”
According to Sportsmail, Premiership chairmen are keen for the review to be swiftly concluded ahead of the season’s start on October 18 and that the salary cap will be discussed at the upcoming PRL meeting on September 16.
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Comments on RugbyPass
The side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
4 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
4 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
4 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
4 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to comments