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Gallagher PremiershipSaracens

Nigel Wray's promise to Saracens fans following salary cap sanctions

Saracens owner Nigel Wray celebrates with the trophy following their 2019 Gallagher Premiership final win over Exeter (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Saracens owner and chairman Nigel Wray has robustly vowed to defend the club after they were docked 35 points and fined more than £5million over breaches of salary cap rules.

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Expressing his shock at the findings, Wray said in a statement issued shortly after the findings: “For over 25 years, I have put my heart and soul into the game I love.

“Together we have created something incredibly special with the Saracens family, both on and off the field. This is absolutely devastating for everyone associated with this amazing group of players, staff, partners and fans.

“It has been acknowledged by the panel that we never deliberately sought to mislead anyone or breach the cap and that’s why it feels like the rug is being completely pulled out from under our feet. We will appeal all the findings.”

The penalty – issued on Tuesday by Premiership Rugby Limited following a lengthy investigation – would leave the London club on -26 points in the Gallagher Premiership table if unsuccessfully appealed and facing relegation at the end of the season.

(Continue reading below…)

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A statement from Premiership Rugby announced: “The sanction that has been imposed on Saracens Rugby Club by the panel is a total fine of £5,360,272.31 and a total deduction of 35 league points.

“Today’s decision by the independent panel upholds both the principle of the salary cap and the charges brought following an extensive investigation by Premiership Rugby.

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“We are pleased that this process has reached a conclusion and we look forward to another exciting season of Premiership Rugby.”

The alleged breaches spanned the last three seasons but the points deduction will be applied in full this season.

WATCH: Sonny Bill Williams’ mega-million dollar code move could see him switch allegiance at the Rugby League World Cup

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Comments on RugbyPass

N
NB 3 minutes ago
Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones

I doub that kind of win will erase the doubts somehow DW. The 6N will tell the tale now.

24 Go to comments
N
NB 4 minutes ago
Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones

I am just wondering what could have happened in the space of only seven months to convince him to leave. It can't be SB as he worked with him before at Tigers.

24 Go to comments
N
NB 5 minutes ago
Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones

No idea Bull. As said Jones was getting promoted and the players sounded very happy with him, so what was the problem?

24 Go to comments
N
NB 6 minutes ago
Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones

It's really odd F. No real explanation offered for either Jones or Walters, and I've not seen any articel digging out the truth behind their departures...

24 Go to comments
N
NB 7 minutes ago
Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones

It doesn't look like they are even taught to move at the same speed SK. One rushes, another lags behind - hence 'shooters'. The last example is especially bad, and it looks like the players have zero belief in what they are doing - far from the case under Felix.


I doubt Joe wants to coach the same system as Felix, given free rein. What a mess!

24 Go to comments
A
Ardy 19 minutes ago
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales all have the same problem

John, McKenzie was 10 years ago and he only lasted 15 months until the disgustingly unfair affair that brought him down. I thought that if he didn't get another gig over Eddie V2 then he was done. I read that he had been approached but declined to put his name in the ring.

There are no potential Wallaby coaches outside of McKellar unless you have some inside info?

12 Go to comments
S
SK 20 minutes ago
Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones

The way they are defending is sometime pathetic to be honest. Itoje is usually on the inside of the rush and he is paired with a slower tight forward. Unable to keep up with the rush we have seen the line become disconnected on the inside where the big boys are. How many times have we seen Earl rush past the first receiver almost into no mans land covering no attacker. It looks like a system without any guidance. Tome Wright, Ikitau and a number of Wallabies went back to this soft centre as did Williams, Jordan and several others. Also when the line is broken the multiple lines of defence seems to be missing. The rush is predicated on a cover and recovery system with multiple lines of defence but with England you dont see it any more. Fitness and conditioning seems to be off as well as players are struggling to keep up with the intensity of the rush. Felix Jones has left a huge hole. The whole situation was and is a mess. Why they insist on not letting him go and having him work remotely is beyond me. Its leading to massive negative press and is a hot button issue thats distracting from the squad. Also the communication around Jones and his role has been absolute rubbish and is totally disjointed. While some say he is working remotely and playing a role others are saying theres been no contact. His role has not been defined and so people keep asking and keep getting different answers. England need a clean break from him and need to start over. Whatever reason for his leaving its time to cut the rope before the saga drags the whole Borthwick regime down. As for Joe El Abd well good luck to him. He is being made to look like an amateur by the whole saga and he is being asked to coach a system thats not his and which has been perfected and honed since 2017 by Nienaber, Jones, Erasmus and Co and which was first started by White in 2004. He is literally trying to figure out a system pioneered by double world cup winning coaches at the highest level and coach it at the same time. Talk about being on a hiding to nothing.

24 Go to comments
A
Ardy 29 minutes ago
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales all have the same problem

The England backs can't be that dumb, he has been playing on and off for the last couple of years. If they are too slow to keep up with him that's another matter.

He was the only thing stopping England from getting their arses handed to them in the Aussie game. If you can't fit a player with that skill set into an England team then they are stuffed.

12 Go to comments
C
CB 34 minutes ago
'Steve Borthwick hung his troops out to dry - he should take some blame'

Steve Borthwick appointment was misguided based on two flawed premises.

1. An overblown sense of the quality of the premiership rugby. The gap between the Premiership and Test rugby is enormous

2. England needed an English coach who understood English Rugby and it's traditional strengths.

SB won the premiership and was an England forward and did a great job with the Japanese forwards but neither of those qualify you as a tier 1 test manager.

Maybe Felix Jones and Aled Walter's departures are down to the fact that SB is a details man, which work at club level but at test level you need the manager to manage and let the coaches get on and do what they are employed for.

SB criticism of players is straight out of Eddie Jones playbook but his loyalty to keeping out of form players borne out of his perceived sense of betrayal as a player.

In all it doesn't stack up as the qualities needed to be a modern Test coach /Manager

13 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 38 minutes ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

But still Australians. Only Australia can help itself seems to be the key message.


Blaming Kiwis is deflecting from the actual problem.

35 Go to comments
O
OJohn 52 minutes ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

I know - but only a particular selfish greedy self entitled a..... breed who have been screwing over Australian rugby for 20 years.

They even sent themselves bankrupt, morons.

35 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 56 minutes ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

I will consider such. But I think outliers like Rod Macqueen are difficult to plan for and or identify logically.


But I’ll keep an open mind and include Rod Macqueen in my assessment.

35 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 58 minutes ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

So you see. Australians are the problem.

35 Go to comments
O
OJohn 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

Keep in mind Rod MacQueen never won a Super Rugby title before he was appointed Wallaby coach but he ended up the greatest rugby coach the world has ever seen. Better than Erasmus even. Who is probably the next best.

35 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

Some interesting names there. I’ll spend some time researching their coaching credentials and come back with a well thought out response and avoid jumping to irrational conclusions.


Chat later.

35 Go to comments
O
OJohn 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

There's plenty of coaching talent available. See other post but the Tahs won't let them coach Australia unless they are Tahs.

35 Go to comments
O
OJohn 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

Ewen McKenzie, Less Kiss, Stephen Larkham, Jim McKay, David Nucifora, Scott Wisenthal, Ben Mowen, Rod Kafer, Mick Byrne, John Manetti, Jason Gilmore, Dan McKellar.


Go on say it. I know you're going to. No Australian will ever be good enough to coach Australia when there's a hopeless kiwi or south african available. Ever !


Because South Africans and Kiwis and Welshmen and Scotsman are all s.... scared that if an immensely talented and athletic team like Australia is ever able to harness nationalistic Australian passion with an Australian coach, you'll all be s.c.r.e.w.e.d.

35 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

This is true.


But perhaps because rugby is Australia’s fourth (or worse) most popular sport, there is just no coaching talent good enough.


It’s interesting that no players from the Aussies golden era (say between 1987 - 2000) have emerged as international quality coaches. Or coaches at all.


Again, Australians are the problem methinks. Not as interested in the game. Not as interested to support the game. Not as interested to get into the game.


And like any other industry in the world - when you don’t have the capabilities or the skills, you import them.


Not difficult to understand really.

35 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

I would say at least one of the 6 if you’d be so kind as to name them?


I’m thinking you can’t name 6 Australian coaches who would be as good as or better than Schmidt.

35 Go to comments
F
Frans 1 hour ago
Autumn Nations Series 2024: Everything you need to know about round four

i think Argentina v France could be a good game too, depending on which Argentina turns up. The most difficult to call is Scotland Australia.

2 Go to comments
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