REPORTS | Saracens set to return to expanded Premiership without playing a game

Rugby News

by Rugby Rucker

Tuesday, 03 November 2020 at 07:55

byRugby Rucker

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Saracens are set for an immediate Gallagher Premiership return next year even if they can't earn it on pitch, according to the Mail Online.

The men in black were fined £5.4m and relegated from the top flight following persistent salary cap breaches.

Premiership Rugby introduced the salary cap in 1999 to ensure the financial viability of all clubs and the competition.

However, Mark McCall's men could now return without playing a game in the second-tier.

Chris Foy

@FoyChris

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Premiership expansion on the cards with Saracens to return even if there is no Championship season + option of Ealing being allowed to buy their way into top flight for £50m investment - @MailSport story with @willgkelleher .

Daily Mail Sport

@MailSport

EXCL: Saracens set for promotion back up to the Premiership without playing a SINGLE GAME - and Ealing could BUY their way into a new 14-team top-flight | @FoyChris & @WillGKelleher trib.al/2SCRNt7

10:53 PM · Nov 2, 2020

Read 5 replies

The RFU have remained adamant that the Championship will go ahead in January, but without a government bailout it's unlikely that clubs could afford testing to restart safely.

Chris Foy has reported that 'Contingency planning is taking place amid growing fears that the 2020-21 season of the Championship – the second tier of English domestic rugby – may not go ahead.'

EDITORS PICKS:

The report added: 'It is understood that up to half the clubs in the Championship would prefer to be moth-balled until the scheduled start of the 2021-22 season next September, to allow them to release players, slash costs and avoid savage losses for staging fixtures without crowds.'

As a result, one of the plans now being discussed for 2021/22 is a 14-team Premiership, with Ealing Trailfinders potentially being given a chance to also play in the top flight for the first time in the clubs history.

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REVEALED | Best Paid XV, Replacements & Head Coach in World Rugby

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The highest earning rugby players XV, replacements and head coach from all over the world is as follows...

BACK-THREE

Fullback: Beauden Barrett (Suntory Goliath) - £780,000

In July, he agreed a multi-million dollar move to Suntory Sungoliath as the exodus of players to Japan continues.

Wing: Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs) – £550,000

The Scotland fullback was the highest paid player at Glasgow Warriors (£350,000) but added another healthy chunk to his pay-packet by joining the Premiership side after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

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Winger: Charles Piutau (Bristol Bears) – £1m

The former All Black full-back or wing, who surprised many by leaving New Zealand before reaching the peak of his powers, becoming British rugby’s first million pound man when he moved to Ashton Gate in 2018.

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CENTRES

Outside-centre: Semi Radradra (Bristol Bears) – £750,000

Reportedly signed a £1.5m two-year deal with the Bears, which works out at £750,000 per season.

Inside-centre: Owen Farrell (Saracens) – £750,000

He a points-machine with England and Saracens, and the outside-half or inside-centre is one of England’s best paid players.

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HALF-BACKS

Fly-half: Handre Pollard (Montpellier) – £1m

The Springbok reportedly tripled his salary when he departed the Bulls to join Top 14 side Montpellier in 2019.

Scrum-half: Morgan Parra (Clermont) – £560,000

The France scrum-half, despite falling out of international contention, still has a huge contract that he signed three years ago. The deal is set to expire in 2021

FRONT-ROW

Loosehead-prop: Mako Vunipola (Saracens) – £450,000

Props are the worst paid position, but, for now anyway, Mako still earns decent money from Saracens. It’s thought the relentless scrummager is one of the players they want to hang onto despite their relegation.

Hooker: Guilhem Guirado (Montpellier) – £500,000

The former France captain may be passed his best but is still earning good money on his contract with Montpellier.

Tighthead-prop: Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) – £480,000

The Ireland and Lions juggernaut will be replaced in this team by Kyle Sinckler when the England powerhouse joins Bristol on a huge contract in the summer, but for now keeps his place.

SECOND-ROW

Lock: Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) - £1m

Lock: Maro Itoje (Saracens) – £800,000

According to RugbyPass his salary is somewhere in the region of £750,000 to £1 million – making him England’s highest paid player.

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BACK-ROW

Blindside-flanker: Steve Luatua (Bristol Bears) – £650,000

Didn’t make any friends within the All Blacks hierarchy when he decided to cash in on his extreme rugby talent, signing for Bristol. Has since signed a contract extension.

Openside-flanker: Michael Hooper (Toyota Verblitz) - £750,000

The Wallabies captain accepted a shock move to Japan to play with Toyota Verblitz, which saw the back-rower increase his salary from around £500k to £750k..

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Number 8: Sergio Parisse (Toulon) – £500,000

The veteran continues to be the highest -paid number 8 after signing another one-year extension with Toulon.

HEAD COACH

Pat Lam (Bristol Bears) - £800,000

The former Newcastle, Northampton and Samoa back-row will remain at Ashton Gate until at least 2023 after signing a bumper contract extension in 2019. The 50-year-old, as a result, became the highest paid rugby boss in the world.