Could Saracens join the PRO14?
An ultra-radical Saracens’ move could change the face of English and European rugby forever, should the North London based side wish to avoid a drop onto the Championship and avoid the continued wrath of furious rival rugby clubs in their domestic competition.
Saracens appear increasingly resigned to automatic relegation from the Premiership as they face the impossible task of reducing their wage bill by up to £2million to comply with salary cap regulations for the current season.
It has been reported that players and staff were told on Friday morning the club would accept an additional 35-point deduction for operating above the £7million limit for the 2019-20 campaign.
The double winners were previously fined £5.36million and docked 35 points for being in breach of the salary cap for the last three seasons, but patience has run out among their rivals over their efforts to slash their existing wage bill.
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Chief executives of the Premiership clubs met on Tuesday and an additional 35-point reduction, which would effectively demote them to the Championship, was proposed.
Star-studded Saracens have experienced difficulty in offloading players at this stage of the year to rivals not inclined to help, but chief executive Ed Griffiths is sounding a note of defiance.
“Discussions are continuing and nothing has been finalised but our position remains the same,” Griffiths said in a statement issued to the PA news agency.
“It is clearly in the interests of the league and English rugby that this matter is dealt with as soon as possible and we are prepared to do whatever is reasonably required to draw that line.”
Could a radical move to the PRO14 be a realistic possibility for the club?
Theoretically at least, it could be beneficial for both sides. It would allow Saracens to avoid a year in the Greene King IPA Championship and give them a first-grade competition to compete in.
While in the short term they would take a significant cut in television deal revenues and the burden of increased travel costs, it would give the club an immediate route back into Heineken Champions Cup.
As it stands, unless they win this year’s competition, it would take the club until at least the 2022/23 to play in the Heineken Champions Cup again. A theoretical entry into the PRO14 could see Saracens back in Europe, at the very least a year earlier, notwithstanding results and a new entry structure.
It would also be an effective two fingers to the other Premiership clubs, who are eager for Saracens to be tarred, feathered and flung to the furthest reaches of the Championship.
'The snowball is finally becoming an avalanche and the Saracens salary cap saga is undeniably now the biggest scandal ever to hit English club rugby'
– writes @AndyGoode10 https://t.co/AW7CJzRHB5
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 18, 2020
For the PRO14, the benefits would be manifold. The competition would get a giant of European rugby on their books, opening up the mouth-watering prospect of galacticos match-up with the likes of Leinster, giving the league a derby between arguably the two best teams on the continent.
More importantly, it would open the door in the English rugby market for the PRO14 and give the organization a product that would surely entice a larger television deal from the likes of Sky, BT or Premier Sports.
A potential downside is if the PRO14 sees Saracens’ brand as being tainted beyond the point of which they would wish to associate with the club. That sounds far-flung, as it is a competition that is hungry for attention and an increase in funding that would be likely to look past the London club’s current scandal.
An unlikely spanner is still a spanner. https://t.co/9SeaOVPcmG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 18, 2020
The true obstacle in the way is the prospect of a profound financial mess following the CVC Premiership deal last year and it’s impending deal with the PRO14.
Two days ago the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission cleared an investment in the PRO14 by CVC Capital Partners, subject “to conditions relating to the Six Nations tournament.”
The PRO14 will not wish to jeopardise that deal, which is already agreed in principle.
CVC already own a significant chunk of the Premiership, so how Saracens exit that deal and enter a new CVC deal with the PRO14 seems on the face of it like a nightmare. The PRO14 is also run by unions, and the entry of a privately owned rugby club could throw governance issues into the air.
A switch to the PRO14 represents a nuclear option for the club, and a nuclear option that would have to rely on the agreement of an outside entity in the shape of the PRO14.
Realistically, should Saracens divorce from Premiership Rugby Ltd, it would be hard to see a way back into the competition. It would likely be a permanent, immutable separation.
A move to the PRO14 might sound like the stuff of fantasy, but considering the developments of the last two days, it can’t be dismissed out of hand.
RugbyPass/additional reporting PA
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
88 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments