Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Could Saracens join the PRO14?

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

An ultra-radical Saracens’ move could change the face of English and European rugby forever, should the North London based side wish to avoid a drop onto the Championship and avoid the continued wrath of furious rival rugby clubs in their domestic competition.

ADVERTISEMENT

Saracens appear increasingly resigned to automatic relegation from the Premiership as they face the impossible task of reducing their wage bill by up to £2million to comply with salary cap regulations for the current season.

It has been reported that players and staff were told on Friday morning the club would accept an additional 35-point deduction for operating above the £7million limit for the 2019-20 campaign.

The double winners were previously fined £5.36million and docked 35 points for being in breach of the salary cap for the last three seasons, but patience has run out among their rivals over their efforts to slash their existing wage bill.

Continue reading below…

WATCH: Jim Hamilton sits down to discuss all the rugby news of the week, with particular focus on the Six Nations and Japanese league.

Video Spacer

Chief executives of the Premiership clubs met on Tuesday and an additional 35-point reduction, which would effectively demote them to the Championship, was proposed.

Star-studded Saracens have experienced difficulty in offloading players at this stage of the year to rivals not inclined to help, but chief executive Ed Griffiths is sounding a note of defiance.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Discussions are continuing and nothing has been finalised but our position remains the same,” Griffiths said in a statement issued to the PA news agency.

“It is clearly in the interests of the league and English rugby that this matter is dealt with as soon as possible and we are prepared to do whatever is reasonably required to draw that line.”

Billy Vunipola
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Could a radical move to the PRO14 be a realistic possibility for the club?

Theoretically at least, it could be beneficial for both sides. It would allow Saracens to avoid a year in the Greene King IPA Championship and give them a first-grade competition to compete in.

ADVERTISEMENT

While in the short term they would take a significant cut in television deal revenues and the burden of increased travel costs, it would give the club an immediate route back into Heineken Champions Cup.

As it stands, unless they win this year’s competition, it would take the club until at least the 2022/23 to play in the Heineken Champions Cup again. A theoretical entry into the PRO14 could see Saracens back in Europe, at the very least a year earlier, notwithstanding results and a new entry structure.

It would also be an effective two fingers to the other Premiership clubs, who are eager for Saracens to be tarred, feathered and flung to the furthest reaches of the Championship.

For the PRO14, the benefits would be manifold. The competition would get a giant of European rugby on their books, opening up the mouth-watering prospect of galacticos match-up with the likes of Leinster, giving the league a derby between arguably the two best teams on the continent.

More importantly, it would open the door in the English rugby market for the PRO14 and give the organization a product that would surely entice a larger television deal from the likes of Sky, BT or Premier Sports.

A potential downside is if the PRO14 sees Saracens’ brand as being tainted beyond the point of which they would wish to associate with the club. That sounds far-flung, as it is a competition that is hungry for attention and an increase in funding that would be likely to look past the London club’s current scandal.

The true obstacle in the way is the prospect of a profound financial mess following the CVC Premiership deal last year and it’s impending deal with the PRO14.

Two days ago the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission cleared an investment in the PRO14 by CVC Capital Partners, subject “to conditions relating to the Six Nations tournament.”

The PRO14 will not wish to jeopardise that deal, which is already agreed in principle.

CVC already own a significant chunk of the Premiership, so how Saracens exit that deal and enter a new CVC deal with the PRO14 seems on the face of it like a nightmare. The PRO14 is also run by unions, and the entry of a privately owned rugby club could throw governance issues into the air.

A switch to the PRO14 represents a nuclear option for the club, and a nuclear option that would have to rely on the agreement of an outside entity in the shape of the PRO14.

Realistically, should Saracens divorce from Premiership Rugby Ltd, it would be hard to see a way back into the competition. It would likely be a permanent, immutable separation.

A move to the PRO14 might sound like the stuff of fantasy, but considering the developments of the last two days, it can’t be dismissed out of hand.

RugbyPass/additional reporting PA

ADVERTISEMENT

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Men's Highlights

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Women's Highlights

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Johnsonfidelis 4 hours ago
Gareth Anscombe returns as Gloucester makes 7 changes for Bath

I got a call from a trader for the first time in August 2024. Less than a ”

I got a call from a trader for the first time in August 2024. Less than a year later, through a fabricated process of baiting me with unbelievable profits, and matching my losses, I was in over $185,000. The platform had assigned my personal broker to me, that called me from time to time to tell me about their new offers. And they said he was one of their top brokers, they further told me the broker had made a lot of people so rich. The broker told me there was an insurance that they get on them, every trade that we do that's secured and we could never lose money, he will put in there that it's an insured secure trade, and they buy the insurance for it. so i was assured, I won't lose any money on if we lose. Okay? But the catch is, you have to bring in an additional $25,000 in order to get that secured trade status on your account. I stupidly did this. Once I hit a certain profit level, I tried to remove money from them. That's when they denied me being able to take out my own money. They also told me to pay an additional fee to bring out my money. I was blocked out of my accounts and denied withdrawal even after i contacted them in various ways. Of course they never told me that additional of $25k from the beginning. So when I heard that, then it was pretty obvious to me that they were running a scam.I was very sad and confused after investing a lot. Earlier this year February 15th 2025, i was able to get my invested capital back including profit and the $25k additional fees with the help of the INTELLIGENCE CYBER WIZARD Assets Recovery (You can contact them below). They offer the best in monetary recovery if you are victim of cryptocurrency fraud, binary options fraud, real estate Investment fraud and many more.

G-mail: intelligencecyberwizard@gmail.com

WhatsApp: + 1 2 1 9 4 2 4 7 5 6 6

Proton mail: intelligencecyberwizard@proton

.me

0 Go to comments
K
Katy Martin 5 hours ago
Duhan van der Merwe's Lions tour thrown into doubt

As a truck driver who spends long hours on the road, I understand the value of hard work. My job demands long shifts, constant focus, and time away from loved ones. To make extra income during my limited downtime, I started mining cryptocurrency. After months of dedication, I finally saved enough to buy BITCOIN through P2P on Binance. It felt like a major milestone. I was proud of what I had built, turning my effort into BITCOIN, an asset I believed in. That pride quickly turned into heartbreak. Someone I trusted scammed me out of $85,000 worth of BITCOIN in a single transaction. I was crushed. I had sacrificed sleep, missed out on time with friends and family, and worked relentlessly, only to have everything taken from me in seconds. The emotional and financial blow was devastating. Still, I was not ready to give up. I started researching ways to recover stolen BITCOIN and came across TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY. I saw countless testimonials from people who had lost cryptocurrency and managed to recover it with their help. Desperate but hopeful, I reached out and shared my story. To my complete shock, TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY managed to trace and recover my stolen BITCOIN within just 21 hours. The funds were safely returned to my wallet. I cannot describe the relief I felt. Months of hard work were not wasted after all. My belief in BITCOIN as a store of value had been shaken, but thanks to TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY, I got a second chance. Even more incredible, their team helped law enforcement track down the scammer responsible. That person was arrested, and justice was served. I could finally breathe again, knowing that the person who took advantage of my trust was held accountable. If you have lost BITCOIN or other crypto to a scam, whether through fake investments, phishing schemes, or fraudulent platforms, do not lose hope. TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY specializes in recovering stolen BITCOIN and other digital assets, even from apps like Binance, Cash App, or Coinbase. Their team is fast, trustworthy, and truly committed to helping victims like me. Losing BITCOIN you worked hard for is painful, but recovery is possible. Reach out to TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY today and take back control of your financial future. CONSUL THEM wa.me/15617263697

2 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Ben Healy one of 3 fly-halves locked down by Edinburgh in one swoop Ben Healy one of 3 fly-halves locked down by Edinburgh in one swoop
Search