It’s a miserable time to be a rugby fan in England, isn’t it? After the worst World Cup campaign in the country’s history – on home soil, no less – fans of a club team would have been looking forward to returning to a degree of normalcy in the Premiership.
Not so. The league finds itself embroiled in one of the ugliest scandals to hit the game for some time, with accusations of confidential ‘settlements’ making it all sound like a bad gangster film. Al Pacino to play Mark McCafferty, anyone?
The level of smoke and mirrors – mostly from McCafferty and Premiership Rugby, whose press releases read like a handbook in management speak – means it is very difficult to nail down any actual facts.
Two clubs are believed to have been investigated for breaching the salary cap, with the findings due to be published some time this year. But that plan has since been shelved, after confidential ‘settlements’ were reached with the clubs who kicked up the fuss in the first place.
How disappointing is that? It is entirely unfair for any club to break the rules, but it is equally galling that the clubs that rightly kicked up a fuss in the first place have been willing to shelve their disquiet after what sounds an awful lot like a pay-off.
Some clubs – like Wasps and Worcester – have confirmed that they have neither broken the salary cap nor received a settlement of any sort. And more power to them. Others, like Sale and Newcastle, have released tentative statements saying they didn’t break the cap – but crucially mentioned nothing about settlements.
The problem all stems from the murkiness of what actually constitutes a salary. There are many ways to pay a player without the money actually forming part of their monthly paycheck, from the mundane – like match win bonuses – to the creative – like paying for an extension to your house.
Professional rugby clubs are businesses, and increasingly, they are being run by wildly successful businessmen with even wilder egos. And from a purely business point of view, what is the best way to grow your rugby club? By attracting the best talent, and winning the biggest prizes.
Fundamentally, given the situation in France, that is going to require an increase to the salary cap. But despite the confirmed increases in the next couple of years, we will hopefully never reach Top 14 levels in this country, because it would make what is a hugely competitive league into a procession; a shoot-out between an elite few with wealthy backers, while the rest – some of whom don’t even hit the current cap, let alone any increased number – slog it out for no reward below them.
But that is almost an entirely different debate; all we want now is transparency. As too often seems to be the case, those that are suffering most are the fans. When they spend their cash on a ticket to a Premiership game, they have to know that they are watching an even contest.
When the fans’ trust begins to be eroded away, a sport is in real trouble. Look at cycling and athletics – it is so difficult to watch either sport these days without a significant degree of cynicism about whether you are watching a fair fight, or whether the competitors are chemically enhanced.
Doping gives an athlete the edge in an individual sport like either of those two; breaking the salary cap in a team game like rugby is doping’s financial equivalent. A level playing field is the very essence of sport – once you lose that all bets are off. But money talks, and those with vested interests are too often only looking out for themselves.
The fans and players are the ones that suffer but in this murky world where the boundary between sport and business is increasingly blurred, we are unlikely to find resolution to the salary cap farce any time soon.
So Sam Burgess might be back off to Australia and the Rabbitohs, his brief and undeniably unsuccessful sojourn in rugby union potentially coming to a premature end. Should he go, it is going to reflect very badly on a lot of people.
First and foremost, the cynics will argue that Burgess only had an eye on the World Cup – now that it’s over, he’s running away back to league. It’s certainly possible, and if it is the case then the RFU must have questions to answer too – did they promise to include him in the World Cup squad in return for him switching from his beloved league?
All in all, it is a real shame. Burgess was never ready for this World Cup but he has certainly shown glimpses of how good a player he could be in this code. Given time to develop away from the spotlight, he could be a real weapon for England in 2019. But should he head back to league with his tail between his legs, it is going to leave a very bad taste in the mouth indeed.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
I think this is such a non – story. But okay, as a supporter of Saracens, I may be accused of bias in this.
However, the only real criticism you can have is how the story has been handled by the top bosses, that’s it. And to that extent you can and should criticise them.
But, why criticise a club like Saracens who by the letter of the law haven’t broken a salary cap. Yes, they may look after their players, the players families and indeed their fans. And, yes, that has cost Nigel Wray a small fortune over the last 20 odd years. But Nigel Wray should be congratulated for what he has done in turning a small club playing on dog shit alley into a great club, playing in a state of art stadium, with young English academy players coming through to play for the National side and a fan base rewarded with trophies and star players after years of under achievement. And Nigel Wray hasn’t done this to turn a profit (like others that could be mentioned), hes done this cos he can afford it, cos he loves the game and his club and for that he should be applauded and not sniped at.
I played rugby in the amateur period, when expenses money was put in boots, when clubs like Harlequins offered bricklayers jobs in the city and when the rich truly did win every trophy. And so what, if someone invests that heavily shouldn’t they expect a better opportunity of glory than those that don’t spend?
Other clubs like Exeter have also risen during this time, but done it failry and honestly, and actually give game time to their acadamy players, rather than buying talent in.
I find it utterly depressing that the 2 unbeaten sides so far are Sarries and Tigers – 2 sides who have such limited game plans, they wonder why they routinely fail outside of their domestic league.
Benjit, have you seen that Brian Moore tweet where he implies Exeter are on the groups on the “wrong” side of this debate? I must admit I was very surprised to see Exeter there, but that is his implication.
Really? How on earth have they managed that? It’s not exactly brimming with star names.
Still don’t like Sarries or tigers though!
Exeter have put out a statement that they were not part of the settlement, along with Saints and Irish.
This is all very odd – Moore still going on about. Saying their statement doesn’t say that. Do you have a link?
You can find the statements here http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Rugby+Union/Exeter+Chiefs I cant find any reference to Moores comments, can you provide a link?
Moore was talking about the power blocks within the Prem not the salary cap per se. Exe are aligned with Bath, Bris, Sarries etc. Does not mean they are outside the salary cap.
“We can’t give you transparency you want”
“Why not?”
“Can’t tell you why not, it’s confidential”
Strange that this only seems to be a ‘non-story’ to followers of a certain north London club. Who haven’t done anything wrong at all.
If Burgess does go, it should put the final nail in Lancaster’s coffin. To waste such talent through such mismanagement is almost beyond belief.
And beyond just Sl and his team, the blame should fall on certain sections of the media and ex-players who like seeing their names in the newspapers. These people have had the knives out for Burgess since he moved and were only to glad to stick them into him when England failed – despite that failure having very little to do with him
Burgess played barely 20 games for Bath and yet, despite that massive lack of experience, managed to play against the vastly more experienced Jamie Roberts and Scott Williams for 70 minutes, leaving the field with his team leading by 7 points.
For him to hold his own in that game was an incredible acheivement. Imagine what he could do if he stays until 2019…
Totally agree on that one (other than you can’t really blame Lancaster for that, Burgess was landed on him a bit, and actually I think he used him reasonably well.)
Burgess – dropped in to soon, had to suffer some awful hype, played in forwards by club and backs by country (which is just insanity). I’d leave if I was him – feted, adored and well paid in one sport or stay here to be investigated and analysed every single weekend. As an aside I’m hoping this is the last of the big money league converts. I don’t understand the constant assumption that one will do well in the other. I spend far too much of my life on RU but I wouldn’t turn around to watch RL so I don’t understand this close relationship between the two. Agree with Pablito that he did well against Wales but, and this isn’t his fault, given the hype and my total lack of awareness of who he was I was expecting to see Jonah Lomu playing with the skills of Christian Cullen and the heart of Martin Johnson.
Salary cap – a weird problem of PR’s own making. Made up a salary cap. All agreed to stick to it. Saracens and others didn’t stick to it (the former so blatantly that it caused the whole investigation in the first place) so now this private club is in a twist over not following it’s own rules. Odd.
The problem with the salary cap isn’t so weird. The problem is defining not just salary which is simple but the total reward package which is far more complicated. There are issues like image rights, puditry, advertising, housing, pensions, spouse’s benefits and probably many more that I haven’t even thought of. If you take an ex wallaby as a simple example he can probably command very large fees for adverising in Australia which clearly is outside the salary cap but if paid by a uk sponsor at the request of a club is that in or out?. If a family member is paid by a club is that in or out (just like MPs wives). It’s quite easy to break the spirit of the cap whilst keeping within the letter of the law. Unfortunately there are ‘owners’ who will strive to ‘get away’ with things. They might even do this for love of their club as well as their own Ego. It is still wrong and the two clubs concerned should be made to compensate those who have suffered an unfair disadvantage as a result. If necessary they need to be pilloried at the court of public opinion. So Jez; Nigel may have done things for love of the club etc that just makes him a well intentioned A**hole rather than a total A**hole.
Firstly Nigel Wray is not an arsehole. He is the most approachable and decent club owner I’ve ever met. Add to that the fact that his legacy stretches fat further than just the rugby.
The first and best community club programme.
An award winning charitable foundation that time after time delivers hope and support to disadvantaged kids and others.
A club full of players that are educated, helped, encouraged through out their career and afterwards.
Players that give up their own valuable time to support charity, the fans and junior clubs.
That all comes from the top, from Nigel Wray. A man who is happy to stay in the background. Who does what he does because he can and not because of the glory.
Anything other than an arsehole.
I wouldn’t trust Nigel Wray half as far as I could throw him.
And strangely, I think there are plenty of others who’s share that view.
But I’m sure, seeing as he is a decent guy, he’d be nothing but polite and respectful to you.
Personally, and ok I’m a Sarries supporter, but what he has done for Rugby far outweighs any perceived, and illlogical, bad.
But then again, success, (and not just playing success), is always bad in jealous minds.
Good points Ray and that is exactly what has happened.
From an RFU friend of mine – Northampton Saints were paying Soane Tonga’uiha’s wife £80k a year to be a part time dinner lady.
Outside the cap by the letter of the law but hardly in the spirit of it. Seems a lot of Bath lads also secure surprisingly low rent options in the area too….
Nice men sometimes do silly and unpleasant things and indeed play the arsehole in some circumstances. So you are suggesting this is one. Remember this thread is specifically about the salary cap widening the debate doesn’t help. If he/they can prove they have adhered to the spirit of the cap they stand
exonerated. Unfortunately it seems, on the strong balance of probability, that he/they can’t.
Firstly I think breaking the cap, either by the letter of the law or by doing so not within the spirit of the agreement; is deplorable.
I’ve seen players compare it to doping; which is spot on. Achieving an unfair advantage by breaking the rules of the sport. Gives a completely unfair disadvantage to clubs staying within the cap.