TRP plus

[Neils]

No Wasps Rumours today.

Match review is another Alfie Angry to play word match.

A couple of bits about World Rugbys attitude to concussion- I hadn't grasped that they were partly blaming smoking, drinking and lifestyle.

Fissler reporting a club being investigated for another salary cap breach - not the EAs.

Mail reporting that Malakai definitely off to either France or Glasgow.

[RogerE]

The bit from Nik Simon's article in the Mail:

Fekitoa set to leave Wasps AND the Premiership

Former All Blacks centre Malakai Fekitoa is likely to leave Wasps next summer for a more lucrative contract outside the Premiership. Fekitoa has potential suitors in France, and Glasgow are understood to have an interest.

Wouldn't say that is "definitely off", more "likely off"

[Shugs]

Got to be on the cards hasn’t it. I’d be surprised if he ended up at Glasgow. Huge talent without a doubt but with injuries and now international commitments it’s a questionable value for money issue.

[Neils]

Got to be on the cards hasn’t it. I’d be surprised if he ended up at Glasgow. Huge talent without a doubt but with injuries and now international commitments it’s a questionable value for money issue.

Was just saying your last point. To my mind a really good player but injured too often for us plus now his Tonga aspirations make him an expensive luxury.

[Steve from Cov]

Got to be on the cards hasn’t it. I’d be surprised if he ended up at Glasgow. Huge talent without a doubt but with injuries and now international commitments it’s a questionable value for money issue.

Was just saying your last point. To my mind a really good player but injured too often for us plus now his Tonga aspirations make him an expensive luxury.

+1. I think there will be better vfm out there.

[Rossm]

From today’s Rugby Paper (Fissler):

English rugby is bracing itself for another salary cap scandal after Premier Rugby launched an investigation into a potential breaking of the rules.

Blindside understands that coaching staff and players have been interviewed by the salary cap manager about a potential breach.

The chief executive of the club, who are currently in the top six of the Premiership, has also been implicated and has faced a grilling.

The club under suspicion isn’t Saracens, who are currently second in the Premiership table after spending last season in the Championship after being found guilty of breaching the cap in 2019.

After being deducted 35 points and fined £5.3m in November 2019, they opted for a further points penalty rather than open up their books for a full forensic audit.

We believe this potential breach isn’t on the same scale, and the investigation will continue early in the New Year.

Well, it can't be us as we're out of the top 6. As it's not the cheats, according to Fissler, then it has to be one of the following: Tigers, Saints, Quins, Exe and Glos. Any guesses? My money's on Exe.

[13thWarrior]

The rate players have been leaving Exeter recently could indicate that know they need to reduce their salary budget?

Can't believe any club would be stupid enough to go over though, so guess it would an accounting mistake?

[NellyWellyWaspy]

The rate players have been leaving Exeter recently could indicate that know they need to reduce their salary budget?

Can't believe any club would be stupid enough to go over though, so guess it would an accounting mistake?

IF it IS Exeter, at the rate they are losing top players and the money they are likely on, it won't be as 'minor' as our breach was, by an order of magnitude.

[HDAWG]

A current top 6 team? The detectives here must be in shambles!

Truth be told it's gonna be akin to what we went through or Quins did a few years ago. Not the Sarries debacle.

[Neils]

A current top 6 team? The detectives here must be in shambles!

Truth be told it's gonna be akin to what we went through or Quins did a few years ago. Not the Sarries debacle.

It may be but it is completely inexcusable.

[JonnyD]

Won’t it be a side trying to offload their current earners, not getting rid of people under next season’s cap?
Anyone offloaded a few players mid season? Brink is off at Leicester

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Whoever it is, the breach will be last (2020/21) or even the previous season (2019/20). Most likely last season. Most likely their audit revealed the issue and they self-reported (as I think Wasps and Quins did?). I have much less of an issue if a team does that. The International credits must be a nightmare to plan for.

[MarleyWasp]

It's Leicester...

Leicester Tigers under investigation for possible salary cap breach

Alex Lowe, Rugby Correspondent
Tuesday December 28 2021, 11.00am, The Times

Leicester Tigers are at the centre of a Premiership Rugby salary cap inquiry into a defunct image rights company and allegations of historic third-party player payments.

Andrew Rogers, the league’s salary cap director, is understood to be investigating a company called Worldwide Image Management (WIM), which was closed voluntarily in February, and its links to the Gallagher Premiership club.

The investigation will seek to determine the exact nature of any payments made to Leicester players by WIM, what they were for and whether they would constitute a breach of salary cap regulations.

Sources have told The Times that “off the books” image rights payments were used in the past to boost player salaries outside of the salary cap. Leicester declined to comment but are understood to be cooperating with the inquiry in the belief they have done nothing wrong.

If any historic offences were to be uncovered, the impact could be devastating on a club that has transformed its fortunes on and off the field over the past two years. Leicester are top of the Premiership after ten consecutive victories and a precarious financial position is improving thanks to new sponsors coming on board.

Premiership Rugby regulations, updated last year, state a breach of the salary cap in excess of £200,000 could trigger a range of punishments including a 50-point deduction, a fine or automatic relegation.

“I know the company existed. I know there certainly were third party payments made and I know there is now an investigation with the salary cap manager,” a source told The Times. “This is a big deal.”

News of the inquiry emerged within weeks of England internationals George Ford and Ellis Genge, the club captain, announcing they would be leaving Leicester in the summer but those moves are not connected to the inquiry.

The rules governing the salary cap were strengthened after the Saracens scandal. The former champions were relegated after being docked 105 points and fined £5.36 million for breaching the regulations in four different seasons.

Rogers and Premiership Rugby’s salary cap office were handed stronger investigatory powers as part of an overhaul in November 2020, which permitted them access to tax returns, WhatsApp messages, emails and bank statements. Players must provide a declaration of expected income each year.

Salary cap investigators are permitted to look back five years. Andrea Pinchen, the Leicester chief executive, is understood to have been interviewed by Rogers as part of this inquiry, although the focus of the investigation is believed to be on the years before she was promoted into the role in May 2020.

Whether or not Leicester were spending to the salary cap limit in those years is also expected to be a factor in determining whether any breaches occurred. So too whether Rogers establishes any funding link between Leicester and WIM. Premiership Rugby has been contacted for a comment.

The Times knows of a different Premiership club that many years ago used an image rights company as a mechanism to boost players’ income outside of the salary cap. The arrangement would specify that a player should turn up to events in order to justify the income but they rarely had to.

When used previously it allowed the club to pay a player more than was declared to Premiership Rugby and potentially freed up space under the cap for an additional squad member.

WIM was wound up voluntarily after a dawn meeting on February 18.

One of its two directors was Anthony Lymn, a business partner of Kasper Schmeichel, the Leicester City goalkeeper. He describes himself on the website of his accountancy firm, Ashgates, as a “‘Trusted Advisor’ to Players (particularly Non-UK Domiciles) and one of the country’s leading Sports Tax Specialists”.

The other director was Justin Paige, a former rugby agent now based in Los Angeles.

The liquidators confirmed that the company had enough funds to pay off its debts. The company was set up in 1999 as GreatDray Limited and the name changed to WIM in 2002.

Lymn has been contacted for a comment.

[Neils]

Nice one thanks

[Rossm]

Yes. Thanks for posting.