Saracens to accept punishment for salary cap breach

Saracens are likely to withdraw their appeal for the punishment handed for the breach in salary cap according to media reports.

The Premiership champions were docked 35 points in the ongoing season and also were fined £5.36m following a nine-month investigation by an independent panel on the arrangements made between the club owner Nigel Wray and some of the players. It is reported that Saracens failed to disclose the player payments for the last three seasons.

Even though they were cleared of any deliberate attempt for breach in the salary cap, the club received criticism from all quarters.

According to a report in The Times UK, it is understood that the Allianz Park outfit have decided to accept the punishment given the deadline for appealing against the sanction ends on Monday.

As a result, Mark McCall's men will move from the third position in the Gallagher Premiership table to the bottom with -22 points and will be behind the 11th placed Leicester by 26 points.

The Premiership Salary cap came into effect in 1999 with teams given a limit of £7m apart from two marquee players whose salary will be outside the defined cap.