Recent Salary cap stories...

[RedruthRFC]

http://www.bathrugby.com/news/bath-rugby-statement-3/

lel

Is the Bath website down for anyone else? Such an influx of people logging in to read their statement?

 

[Aristodemus]

Yeah... what did it say Rats?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Yeah... what did it say Rats?

"We aint do nuffin, inneh!"

 

[Aristodemus]

Who could doubt such a sincere comment

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Not working for me either.

Can we all sue them for lying to us?

 

[ncurd]

Statement in full

In response to recent speculation, Bath Rugby would like to clarify its position for the 2014/2015 season.

Bath Rugby can confirm the Club was within the salary cap for the 2014/15 season. The cap for the 2014/15 season was £4.76m before allowances and credits. Bath Rugby's salary cap spend was £4.71m during that period. Bath Rugby can also reassure supporters that the Club's spend will be within the salary cap for the 2015/2016 season.

The Club is committed to spending up to the cap to provide the best squad possible. We have one of the smaller squads in the Premiership, which comprised 36 senior players including 14 international players in the 2014/15 season.

Bath Rugby would also like to clarify its position regarding the salary cap debate. English clubs have been significantly disadvantaged both within domestic and European competitions. The clubs representing England in Europe have been expected to compete with European clubs, who have a spend of up to 100% more on their squads. These same English clubs also lose international players for one third of the domestic season with no cap relief. This system was inherently unfair, open to challenge and was in need of fundamental change.

The new Salary Framework, voted and approved unanimously by the shareholders of Premiership Rugby (PRL) last week, enables clubs to recruit cover for players called up for international fixtures, provides funding for clubs to compete equally with European clubs, provides enhanced incentives for the development of young English players, and simplifies the administration of the system.

The new defined salary framework is a much fairer system for all clubs. It will provide increased investment for all the clubs, funded 100% from central income. It will allow Premiership clubs to compete on a fairer playing field both domestically and in Europe and it will promote the production and development of English talent.

Sounds like they were investigated but they believe they were within the cap (by 50k).

 

[j'nuh]

Wasn't it a safe assumption that if salary cap cheating was taking place, it wasn't going to be in the form of clubs outwardly spending over the cap on players? The salary cap manager would have easily picked up on that and this case would have been resolved months ago.

The very few facts that have emerged from these statements seem to suggest that the issue is over player commercial contracts. Putting two and two together, the sides that have been investigated are saying that players arranged their contracts separately from the club and so the amounts received should not count as part of the salary cap, whereas the other clubs believe that the clubs being investigated have facilitated those contracts for the players as a means of "topping up" their salary, hence why they are able to fit so much quality under the cap.

If the players at the teams being investigated are receiving a much higher amount of income from their own commercial contracts, then something would be very fishy. Which is why I would love for someone to cut through the bull**** and say how much players collectively are receiving from these types of contracts at each team. If it's £50k at Gloucester and £1m at Bath, then I think it's fairly clear that cheating has happened.

 

[ratsapprentice]

:lol:

 

[j'nuh]

:lol:

I really hope that Ryan hasn't signed anything that means he can't talk about what's gone on. I'll be quite excited to hear what he says on everything when Gloucester has been sold.

On the other hand, I'm disappointed he is leaving. I know he's a bit of a love/hate figure, but I think he's spot on with most things he says.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I disagree with him on a lot of things, but at least he has the balls to interface with people like an actual human being.

 

[Mattybuck]

By the looks of it Bath and no doubt Sarries made arguments re international commitments.

Losing players for a 1/3 season they seem to think should be accounted for in the cap.

I suppose they feel that they are paying players to play for England and allowance for that should be made.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I like the 2014/15 season being stated

When reports were about 2013/14 season.

Sort of like saying to a GF I did not cheat on you last month when you are being accused of cheating 3 months ago.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

:lol:

That tweet now deleted pretty much confirms it

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Quins statement makes for some dodgy reading - lots of lawyer speak:
http://www.quins.co.uk/news/harlequins-statement-2/

To me it sounds like they've gone over the cap, to be honest.
"Every year we try not to break the cap" is a bit different to "We've not broken the cap."