Saracens docked 35 points

[wasps]

If you have a large squad and were very sneaky, could you not have a core of maybe 6-8 players who you only play in Europe and Premiership Rugby Cup games, ensuring they do not play for and are not included in the Premiership squad?

I think even non playing staff are included in the cap, aren't they?

[Rossm]

Wray's defence is based on that aspect of their development programme and how 'kind' he has been to England.

Good job England didn't win the World Cup then. Another trophy tainted.

[Tervueren]

Terms in the salary cap rules include:

"Competition" means any game in the Gallagher Premiership, Premiership Rugby Shield, Premiership Rugby 7s, Premiership Rugby Cup, European Rugby Champions Cup or European Rugby Challenge Cup (as such rugby competitions may be renamed or replaced), which involves any of the Clubs;

Not found anything yet to confirm this (and really should be working so will have to read more later) but it looks as though the intention is that any players in any of these competitions are counted within the cap.

[Tervueren]

Like a steroid user, just stopping does not make the artificially induced muscle mass vanish immediately, so Sarries will still have their mighty squad for the foreseeable.

If they reduce remuneration to top players to be below the cap are players going to object? Take legal action (when on balance of probabilities they might be seen to have been complicit in the cap breach), leave? Where would they go, it has to be England if they want to play for England, but who has space under the cap in the next couple of years to take them without getting rid of players (those players have contracts too).

The players might just have to lump it, Wray will get to cut his costs to offset against the fine, and in a couple of years with new players coming through the current top players might not have the same clout.

This means that for the next few years we have a tainted competition.

Anyone know if they are going to publish the actual report on what they were up to?

[Rifleman Harris]

It's just said on Radio 5 that the report is unlikely to be released.

[baldpaul101]

Could the Sarries team of yesterday that got dismantled by Racing be an indication of the level where they might of been if they hadn't cheated the cap?

Obviously they would have had some of their England players even within the cap but they were so far from the french team in every area, you have to start wondering what the last few years in the Prem would have looked like without their cheating.....

[BG]

If you have a large squad and were very sneaky, could you not have a core of maybe 6-8 players who you only play in Europe and Premiership Rugby Cup games, ensuring they do not play for and are not included in the Premiership squad?

I think even non playing staff are included in the cap, aren't they?

No - The salary cap only includes players in the senior squad

Trading figures were released for all clubs for the season before last and amazingly Wuss had 1 of the highest wage bills at around £12m but that would be for the whole club.. players, management, staff etc.

But.. this highlights another massive loophole.. what's to stop a club employing a players wife/girlfriend within the club on a ludricous wage for filling in some spreadsheets 2 days a week.

The PRL has no jurisdiction to inspect players' bank accounts so the salary cap is only really constrained by what a club as a whole can afford. PRL can only ask to see whart money is going out relating to players.. it can''t ask to see what is coming in to players' bank accounts.. and the players will never sign up to that

[Tervueren]

4.2b

the total amounts paid or payable provided or to be provided as Salary in that Salary
Cap Year by or on behalf of a Club or a Connected Party of the Club in respect of its
Senior Players and Academy Players or any Connected Party of those Players in the
form of the spreadsheet at Schedule 6;

Connected party for the players is:

a spouse or civil partner or any other person living with that Player
in an enduring family relationship;
children or step-children;
siblings; and
parents;

Ergo, Saracens will be employing players' children's gerbils for something by this time next year.

[BG]

Blimey.. so PRL did really think about how payments could be made to players if it includes family etc.

Image rights payments have been mentioned. What are they?

[Tervueren]

Blimey.. so PRL did really think about how payments could be made to players if it includes family etc.

Image rights payments have been mentioned. What are they?

Manila envelopes stuffed with £50 notes and hand carried to the Cayman Islands?

[Fats]

For those of you having trouble sleeping this site is always interesting.

Good stuff on the legals involved in reasonably understandable English.

http://rugbyandthelaw.com/sports-law-blog/

[Fats]

Make sure you have a bucket to puke in before opening and reading Wray's ststement on dropping any appeal.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/saracens-why-were-not-appealing-salary-cap-punishment

[AKWasp]

Has been officially confirmed that Saracens WILL NOT be appealing.

Wray quoted as ‘doing the wrong thing for the right reasons’. Still trying to push the player welfare and investment stuff. I do appreciate it’s a good thing to make sportsmen well equipped for retirement but think financially, it should be kept until retirement.

Would be interesting to see what the fallout is with their current squad most likely being outside the cap and also how quick Sarries will recoup those remaining lost points.

[RogerE]

Yippee - in 10th place now

[Rossm]

Onwards and upwards