Leicester Tigers cooperating with Premiership Rugby over salary cap breach investigation

Leicester Tigers have revealed that they are co-operating with Premiership Rugby as they have launched an investigation for a potential salary cap breach.

Premiership Rugby's salary cap director Andrew Rogers is investigating into the club's association with Worldwide Image Management.

The company was shut down in February but there were allegations of payments made by it to Leicester players and now the umbrella organization is looking into the aspect that the transactions were a constituent of player salaries.

“The agreed policy is that we will never confirm nor deny if there is or is not an investigation under way,” a Premiership Rugby spokesperson said.

“The salary cap director is continually looking at matters relating to the salary cap and it would be inappropriate, and could potentially undermine an investigation, if we were to confirm anything.

“However, if the salary cap director concludes that a breach has occurred, he shall charge the club (and/or player, club official, agent) and this charge shall be made public.”

Earlier, Saracens were found guilty of salary cap breaches and were relegated from the top tier at the end of the 2019/20 season apart from a fine of €5m even though Mark McCall's men returned back to Premiership after winning the second tier Championship competition in the 2020/21 season.

Leicester Tigers are yet to lose a game this season and are at the top of the Premiership table with 10 wins from as many games. They are also third in Pool B of the Heineken Champions Cup with victories over Bordeaux Begles and Connacht Rugby.