London (AFP)
The owner of the Saracens announced on Wednesday that he would not have to put the number of the club in pieces after the heavy sanction of the English Rugby League which has notably subtracted 35 points from the counter of the team for violation of the + salary cap +.
The Watford club, winner of three of the last four European Cups and two-time British champion, was also fined 5 million pounds (6.2 million EUR). He appealed the decision.
"To clarify, there is no obligation to separate from any particular player," Nigel Wray said in a video posted on the club's Twitter account. "If you think it's a money problem, you're wrong, it's about love, caring for each other, working together, and I'm very proud of all our players, and from all those who work at the Saracens, I am proud of what we have accomplished and accomplished on and off the field. "
The Saracens had been targeted for nine months by a survey conducted by a group of independent experts for not respecting the authorized payroll for the last three seasons, fixed at 7 million pounds (8.1 million EUR) per year in England. In particular, Nigel Wray, the owner, is accused of having circumvented the limit by embarking on joint investments with certain players.
The club has nine vice-world champions including brothers Billy and Mako Vunipola, Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje.
Since the announcement of the decision of the League rugby English reactions disapproving the financial conduct of the club have multiplied across the Channel, like Tony Rowe, owner of the Exeter chiefs, the club beat in the last two finals of the championship by the Saracens, and who said: "they should be relegated automatically".
The former captain of Pink Fifteen Chris Robshaw has accused them of having + cheated + and put the English rugby in a very difficult situation.
© 2019 AFP