Relegated Saracens face a European rugby misconduct hearing Friday evening

Saracens’ crisis season continues to limp from one staggering twist to the next.

Already automatically relegated from the Gallagher Premiership due to the salary cap scandal, they are now in hot water with European rugby officials for potentially fielding an ineligible player in last month’s Heineken Champions Cup win over Racing 92.

EPCR was informed by Saracens earlier this week that their player, Titi Lamositele, who was named in the matchday squad for the fixture at Allianz Park and who came on to the field of play as a replacement in the 60th minute, may have been ineligible due an inadvertent administrative error on behalf of the club.

Lamositele was eligible at the time the Saracens matchday squad was announced. However, the club has indicated to EPCR that the player’s work permit expired on Saturday, January 18, the day before the fixture against Racing 92, and this may have constituted a breach of the disciplinary rules of the 2019/20 EPCR participation agreement.

An independent Disciplinary Committee consisting of chair Roger Morris (Wales), Pamela Woodman (Scotland) and Jean-Noel Couraud (France) has been appointed to hear the misconduct complaint in London on Friday evening. 

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The last occasion EPCR heard a similar misconduct case, Scarlets were fined €10,000 – a punishment suspended for two years – and the result of their match – a 14-64 Januaruy 2016 pool stage defeat to Racing – was allowed to stand.

The Welsh region had included Jacob Cowley in their line-up, a player who at the relevant time was not registered with EPCR under its tournament rules.

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