Premiership clubs agree salary cap overhaul after Lord Myners review

[jamestaylor002]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/52875739

A ground-breaking overhaul of the Premiership salary cap has been unanimously approved by clubs.
Last month, Lord Myners made 52 official recommendations as part of his comprehensive report into the cap.
All measures will be applied, including titles being stripped for serious offences and more accountability for clubs, players and agents.
The review comes in the aftermath of champions Saracens' relegation from the Premiership for repeated cap breaches.
However changing the level of the cap, currently £7m, and scrapping the two marquee player allowances were not part of the official recommendations.
While former government minister Myners did call for the marquee rule - which allows two players to be paid an unlimited amount outside the cap - to be reviewed by the clubs, he did not go as far as to recommend that it should be removed.
His recommendations for the English top flight also included:

• Greater sanctions for clubs in breach, including relegations, suspension, stripping of titles, and return of prize money.
  
• Greater accountability for players, and sanctions for players in breach of their obligations.
  
• Greater accountability for agents, and sanctions for agents in breach of their obligations.
  
• Greater accountability for club officials, and the introduction of a "fit and proper" test for club owners.
  
• Greater transparency and clearer regulations, with clearer definitions of what constitutes salary.
  
• Greater power and support for the salary cap manager.

"I am immensely grateful to Lord Myners for his thorough, diligent and robust approach to conducting this review," said Premiership Rugby chief executive Darren Childs.
"It's a credit to our clubs that they have acted so quickly to support these recommendations and take the Premiership Rugby salary cap into a new era. We want to create the gold standard for delivering sporting integrity, financial viability and competitive balance.
"The next stage is for us to consult with our clubs, the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Players' Association and to enshrine these new regulations for the start of the 2020-21 season, which will be created for the long-term benefit of our sport."
Former Harlequins and Saracens chief executive Mark Evans told BBC Radio 5 Live's Rugby Union Weekly podcast that the Myners report was "undoubtedly" a step in the right direction, but warned a further governance overhaul at Premiership Rugby is needed.
"I don't think our league is very well structured. I am a big fan of the salary cap, but the salary cap can't do it on its own," Evans said.
"It needs about 10 or 12 other things to happen if we are to build the Premiership into a sustainable league that can grow over time."

[Neils]

But no change to the Cap or Marquee status. Kind of looks like Lansdown and his ilk have won that one.

[jamestaylor002]

According to Chris Foy, they needed a bit of encouragement to agree. I guess that was it.

[DGP Wasp]

The stronger sanctions and in particular the individual accountability including players and their agents should ensure future compliance.
Lord Myners's recommendations have been accepted unanimously and in full, so presumably that means there will now be a review of the marquee rule as that was the recommendation as opposed to its immediate abolition.  With the current perilous financial state of the elite game, such a review would be timely, but I'm not sure it would gain quite the same level of support if put to a vote following review.  Time will tell.

[Neils]

The stronger sanctions and in particular the individual accountability including players and their agents should ensure future compliance.
Lord Myners's recommendations have been accepted unanimously and in full, so presumably that means there will now be a review of the marquee rule as that was the recommendation as opposed to its immediate abolition.  With the current perilous financial state of the elite game, such a review would be timely, but I'm not sure it would gain quite the same level of support if put to a vote following review.  Time will tell.

I doubt there will be any change to Marquee and Cap as there are too many clubs against it - the likes of Bristol, Bath, Exeter, Sale and the EAs would oppose it. That is too many to get anything passed.

[Heathen]

'Haves' and 'Have nots' becoming a reality?

[BG]

Immediately scrapping the marquee and cap regulations could not have been achieved since clubs have already signed player contracts.

The earliest it could possibly be changed is possibly in 2 or 3 years. Hopefully by that time the penny might have sunk in. the league can't survive with clubs losing £2m - £4m each season

It's up to the clubs to manage their finances better and with PRL being given a bigger stick, I'm hoping they all do.

There will always be inequalties (as in life generally) but there will be club/owners that will try to push the rules to the limit.

I'm wondering if the loan system has also been tweaked.

[Hymenoptera]

While the marque will of course improve a team, mostly in that position, i wouldn't be too bothered if the big boys had them and others didn't. A properly coached team with quality throughout the squad should be competitive enough that i wouldn't be wo is me.  That is of course unless they are worth 10 points a game, maybe a Piatau or a Randrandra but thats dream land surely.

[jamestaylor002]

'Haves' and 'Have nots' becoming a reality?

This exactly, we risk having a league that is grossly uncompetitive and ultimately starts to lose public interest.

[Neils]

'Haves' and 'Have nots' becoming a reality?

This exactly, we risk having a league that is grossly uncompetitive and ultimately starts to lose public interest.

Has generally been for a few years with overfinanced EAs winning much.

[jamestaylor002]

'Haves' and 'Have nots' becoming a reality?

This exactly, we risk having a league that is grossly uncompetitive and ultimately starts to lose public interest.

Has generally been for a few years with overfinanced EAs winning much.

Touche!

[Shugs]

Not sure it is an uncompetitive league. If you take Saracens out who have been operating way outside of the cap I think it's very tight. What's more the salary cap, as it is, is doing the job of providing the "handicapping" system the league requires. More accountability - yes, fine. Fundamental changes - not needed for me.

[westwaleswasp]

All the clubs bar one are losing money, and the one that isn't is lying about it.
How long can that go on for?
Tickets are pretty pricey across the game compared to Wales-  it was not long a go I could get an entire Ospreys season ticket for the price of 3 Wasps games at the price we normally play (admittedly that is apple v orange as when going to fewer games I am inclined to pay more). Wasps are not the most expensive English club, either. I can't see the gap being plugged by sales of beer or seats, it has to be TV money and as athletics has found, broadcasters don't always offer more each contract renewal. So that is key, how much money can be extracted from broadcasters.  I am glad they are doing what they have done, but I would not be surprised if there were clubs destined to go the way of Richmond, London Welsh, Celtic Warriors etc.
I would not be unhappy if we did not have a marquee and others did, but I think issues go deeper.

[Shugs]

That's a slightly different argument around sustainability rather than competitiveness. I take your point about the worrying financial state of a lot of clubs but for me it's s bit of a catch 22. If top players can't make the living in the Prem they can make elsewhere lots will go. Loyal fans will still turn up but TV might lose interest. Plus, the players deserve the rewards for what is a brutal game. I think the current balance is about right and particularly at Wasps we're already seeing a move to a more sustainable model that is club led without regulation change.

[Skippy]

In Wales, a number of players are on central contracts. This probably goes some way to reducing the costs that the clubs have to cover through gate receipts. That and the lower cost of living helping to hold down wage pressures.