Sanction threatens Saracens status
BREAKING NEWS: English and European champions Saracens status as a Premiership club is under threat.
They have been docked 35 points and fined over £5-million (US$6.5-million) for breaching the Premiership Rugby salary cap over several seasons.
Saracens – who provided nine of the England squad that reached last Saturday’s World Cup Final – had been subject to a nine-month investigation.
An independent panel adjudicated that they had indeed contravened the salary cap – which is set at £7-million a year.
“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,” read a statement from Premiership Rugby.
This means Sarries, with two wins in three matches this season, will drop to last place on the standings with -26 points – 30 points below Leicester Tigers, currently in 12th spot.
They now face the very real threat of relegation from the Premiership.
