Leicester Tigers fined for salary cap breaches

Premiership Rugby has fined Leicester Tigers close to £310,000 for breaches in salary cap regulations.

The board had launched an investigation initiated by Salary Cap Director Andrew Rogers after the club had failed to disclose payments to image rights companies of the players.

However, the outcome of the investigation was that Leicester Tigers should have declared the payments to the players as a part of their salary and hence breaches were reported between 2016-17 and 2019-20 seasons.

The club was fined 122,750 for 2016-17, £64,718.05 for 2017-18, £30,886.69 for 2018-19 and £73,586.32 for 2019-20 season apart from another £17,900 for failing to report payments in the 2020/21 season during which there was no breach.

Nevertheless, the club was not sanctioned further including a relegation or league points deduction as compared to Saracens, who had a greater overspend.

Leicester Tigers in a statement said they have accepted the findings and there will not be any appeal.

“The club has co-operated with Premiership Rugby throughout the period of the investigation into historic salary cap spending. We accept the decision and the acknowledgement that there was no over-run in the most recent season of the review," said Leicester Tigers Chief Executive Officer Andrea Pinchen.

“We are thankful this matter has been brought to a conclusion and pleased that we can now focus all of our energy and efforts on the future of the club.”

Leicester Tigers are at top of the Gallagher Premiership table this season with 16 wins from 19 matches.