Fans know that two of those clubs contested last season’s Premiership final and have not missed the point that even though the cap has been raised some cannot spend up to it. I have spoken to, amongst others, at least four people from different clubs, who were present at the meeting when Premiership Rugby privately announced the results of salary cap investigations. This information is presented to the Board of Premiership Rugby. We are owed at least this. Is this coincidence or does it implicitly support what I have been told - that those clubs were investigated and involved in settlements? They obviously think this will just do away. Meanwhile their fans are left without answers and the rest of the Premiership is drawing their own conclusions. Player interviews are carried out on a regular basis to support the management of the Salary Cap. In a moment of prescience Austin Healey chose the conference call name of 'brushed under the carpet’. In a moral maze of which Kafka would have been proud it is scarcely believable, but true, that Premiership Rugby won’t tell their own clubs the amount of the settlements or confirm the methods. These objectives are borne out in the financial success the league and a healthy turnover of teams at the top of the league with five different Gallagher Premiership Rugby Champions in the last six years.
Further, even those that can have to integrate new players whilst others have already done this and so any unfair advantage is maintained for probably another season.

Within the £7 million Salary Cap ceiling, clubs are encouraged to develop home grown talent by accessing up to £600,000 of Home Grown Player Credits. Both McCafferty and Chairman Quentin Smith have repeatedly stated that there is a binding confidentiality agreement that precludes giving details. It is the combined “salaries” of all Players at the Club.
spouse child, parents), the Player’s Agent, any company, trust or organisation, and so on. Salary Caps exist in many commercially successful sports around the world. The most obvious examples are the NFL and NHL in the USA, and the NRL and AFL in Australia. What will not be done is no lump sum will be paid by the settling clubs because that might look like a fine; it also might be picked up in the accounts. I played extensively against Leicester, Bath and Sarries and have great respect for them. All documents relating to Loans and copies of any Contracts/written documents evidencing payments to Player Agents are provided. Secret deals; spin; legal threats; bullying; ‘you support me on this and I’ll vote with you on that’ and accusations of a press witch-hunt. Also, they can provide an unlimited education (academic or vocational) fund to their players, and can replace long-term injured players without impacting on their Salary Cap ceiling. As a collective, Premiership Rugby and its clubs led the way in England when they introduced their Salary Cap in 1999 in order to ensure the financial viability of all clubs and the Gallagher Premiership Rugby competition, to control inflationary pressures on clubs’ costs, and to provide a level playing field for clubs to ensure a competitive Gallagher Premiership Rugby competition.

He denounced media traduction but when asked for facts, in a subsequent phone conference, gave a convoluted statement worthy of Donald Rumsfeld. McCafferty next made a public statement referring to the deal and settlements but stressing there had been no findings of breach and no fines. No, it’s not Fifa this time; it’s the body in charge of the Aviva Premiership. It is likely there will be an uneven distribution of BT Sport broadcast income and other opaque channels used. Perhaps, but why would any club settle anything if they could conclusively prove they weren’t in breach? In July each pre-season every Premiership Rugby Club will provide the Salary Cap Manager for the new Season. When looking at a Club for Salary Cap purposes we include a broad web of connections such as any Director, officer or employee (excluding Players) of that Club; any family member/spouse/partner of any Director, officer or employee (excluding Players) of that Club;  a shareholder;  a sponsor; any company, trust, partnership, or other body, organisation, and so on. They could make it fact or refute it conclusively but they don’t appear to want to do either. The current level of the Salary Cap for 2017-18 is £7m, plus two Excluded Players whose salaries sit outside the cap, enabling clubs to recruit and retain world class talent. The way this has been handled has damaged Premiership rugby. Please click here to download a full copy of the Premiership Rugby Salary Cap Regulations, © 2020 Content Copyright Premiership Rugby, Statistical Data © Opta, Fixtures - Next Three - Gallagher Premiership, Fixtures - Last Three - Gallagher Premiership, League Table - Snapshot - Gallagher Premiership.