Saracens to be relegated from Premiership at end of season

Premiership Rugby has confirmed that Saracens will be relegated at the end of the ongoing season for salary cap breaches.

The Allianz Park outfit were fined £5.36m and docked 35 points in the Premiership table for breaching salary cap over the last three seasons and were under pressure to avoid another breach in the ongoing season.

With £7m being the limit for salary cap, Saracens had to dock their wages by £2m to ensure they comply with the regulations which they could not manage resulting in an automatic relegation to second tier where they will compete in the Championship next season.

"Premiership Rugby is prepared to take strong action to enforce the regulations governing fair competition between our clubs," said Premiership Rugby chief executive Darren Childs.

"At the conclusion of dialogue with Saracens about their compliance with the salary cap regulations, it has been decided that Saracens will be relegated at the end of this season.

"At the same as enforcing the existing regulations, we want to ensure a level playing field for all clubs in the future, which is why we have asked Lord Myners to carry out an independently-led review of the salary cap."

Saracens chairman Neil Golding admitted that the mistakes made by the club had costed them but is confident of overcoming the setback with a strong compliance in place.

"As the new chairman of Saracens, I acknowledge the club has made errors in the past, and we unreservedly apologise for those mistakes.

"I and the rest of the board are committed to overseeing stringent new governance measures to ensure regulatory compliance going forward."

Exeter chief executive Tony Rowe came down strongly at Saracens for their salary cap offence describing their act as 'cheating'.

"They've taken relegation," he told BBC Radio Devon. "Let's be very honest about this before people have sympathy with Saracens.

"They had two choices: they could either open up their books so that Premiership Rugby could do a forensic audit of exactly what has gone on, or they could take relegation. So it was their choice not to open up their books.

"Premiership Rugby - all the chairmen - we just want to move on. It was their opportunity to open up everything to the salary cap people, or take relegation. They have decided to take relegation

"We just want to move on. They have cheated. And I'm just a bit upset it has taken so long to do this.

"At the moment they are still picking their team each week largely from the squad they had last year which is still in breach of the salary cap. They have been asked by the rest of the Premiership clubs to reduce that [the squad] back as well.

"Everybody has had their suspicion for a long time. Five years ago they were hauled over the coals for similar offences. We just want a level playing field.

"Every club just wants the same opportunity and chances and let's hope we get back to that."