From an article on RugbyPass https://www.rugbypass.com/news/andy-goode-and-brendan-venter-get-into-a-heated-debate-over-saracens
Venter believed that it was former chairman Nigel Wray’s kindness that led the club to be in the state that it was in.
“Every time that a player needed to be kept, the player would go to Nigel personally and Nigel would broker a deal with him. And Nigel would always broker a deal around the joint investments thing.”
So, if what the good Doctor is saying is true and co-investment was only offered as part of player retention and not helping players with life after business then that surely suggests it was done as a way to re-numerate a player outside of the salary cap (ie not a deal at commercial rates/terms) and both Wray and Player(s) were complicit in that?
I quite agree it’s his generosity/kindness that has caused and can wholly accept it was done to retain players nurtured from a young age who’s market rates had skyrocketed on the back of Domestic, International and Lions successes.
BUT, Wray has never claimed that was the reason and has instead denied all knowledge of any wrongdoing and lied about the situation.
I just don’t get how a kind-hearted, generous man couldn’t just say
“Yep, I’ve personally remunerated a number of players to help retain them where squeezed as the current credit system doesn’t provide enough compensation where there is a high number of Internationals/Lions. We’re happy to open our books to demonstrate that’s all it was. The system is broken and I’m going to campaign for a system that allows clubs to better nuture and retain their young players”