Saracens breaches put rugby at a dangerous crossroads, warns Chris Robshaw

Danger signs: Chris Robshaw warned that Saracens’ actions have crossed a line in the sport
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Former England captain Chris Robshaw has warned English rugby it is at a dangerous crossroads and faces a battle to clean up its reputation after Saracens were found to have repeatedly breached the Premiership salary cap.

The English champions were yesterday fined £5.36million and docked 35 points in the league after a lengthy investigation into business dealings between club owner and chairman Nigel Wray and some players.

The club, who are also the defending European champions, are potentially facing further censure after failing to attend the launch of the Heineken Champions Cup in Cardiff this morning.

Harlequins skipper Robshaw likened Saracens’ approach to doping in other sports and said the ramifications for the English game would be huge.

“They crossed the line and it’s cheating,” said Robshaw. “A game that we love, and it’s found the pinnacle of English rugby is illegal. It puts our sport in a very dangerous place. We’re a sport that claims to be whiter than white.

“When you look at cheating in athletics or cycling or baseball, for us as a sport we like to think that we’re clean and greener than everyone else. We’re not and we have to be realistic. As a sport we’ve got to take the damage that comes with that and it’s not going to be easy for [rugby] to move forward.”

Saracens have won the Premiership title in three of the last four seasons, as well as being crowned European champions three times during that time.

Robshaw added: “If [Harlequins] had done that and won in that way, I would accept that punishment. But would we cheat like that and win like they did the last few years? Definitely not.”

Saracens’ financial misconduct led Exeter Chiefs chairman Tony Rowe to call for the club to be thrown out of the league with immediate effect. That stance was echoed today by Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter, likening what Saracens had done to financial doping.

“Saracens believe what they’ve done is okay as they’re not captured by salary cap concerns,” said Baxter. “If that’s the first response, you’re basically saying you’re not abiding by the fundamental principles of working within the salary cap to create a level of fairness in the competition. Are they saying they want to continue making payments outside the salary cap?”

Baxter came up short of claiming his side had been robbed of Premiership titles as consistently Saracens’ closest challengers in the league in recent years. “I can’t guarantee we’d have won, but I do think they won the titles unfairly,” he said. “And to try to dress up what they’re doing as player welfare and developing the game, they are things that stick in the craw a little bit.”

Asked if Saracens’ actions were akin to financial doping, Baxter added: “Well, if you compare it to what’s happened in other sports that are probably stronger exponents of salary cap, then potentially yes.”

There has been talk of a possible ­boycott by rival Premiership teams to playing Saracens but Baxter said he did not expect Exeter to take that approach, a stance echoed by Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond.

But Diamond hinted Saracens deserved a potential harsher set of penalties for their actions and ­questioned how their current squad could keep on playing this season within the salary cap.

“The sanction has to be severe if they’re in breach, more severe than currently,” he said. “The deterrent has to be there to stop the next club doing it, otherwise you’ll have anarchy.

“But if these sanctions stick, they should pay the money, lick their wounds and they’re good enough to stay up, even with the points deduction. Interesting question is they must be overcapped now, but that’s for the powers that be to discuss.”

Premiership Rugby are currently waiting for Saracens to lodge a formal appeal. The club have until November 18 to do so, although they have already declared their intention to do so, with another independent panel set to adjudicate.

No timeframe has been set for that process but the panel is unlikely to meet until the new year to begin a review, meaning that Saracens will not yet be docked the points or be made to pay the fine handed down yesterday.

The mood at Saracens, both on and off the pitch, is one of shock, the club claiming they were convinced they had complied with the necessary regulations regarding player salaries.

But they have not been put under any immediate pressure to dismantle their squad, with insiders at the club reinforcing how player salaries was never an issue but, instead, co-investments. Players out of contract in

the summer include Liam Williams, Brad Barritt, Ben Spencer and Richard Wigglesworth.

Major sponsor Allianz, meanwhile, today said they would not make any decisions over their future support until the end of the appeal. A company spokesperson said: “Saracens have announced that they intend to launch an appeal against all of the disciplinary panel’s findings. Allianz will be making no further comment pending the outcome of the appeal process.”

Meanwhile, following Saracens’ no show at the Principality Stadium this morning, European Professional Club Rugby said in a statement: “EPCR is disappointed to learn of Saracens’ decision to make their club representatives unavailable for today’s launch. EPCR will now consider what action is appropriate in this instance and will be making no further comment at this time.”

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