Tag Archives: saracens

Saracens have confirmed that they will not seek a review of the decision of an independent disciplinary panel which resulted in the club being deducted 35 league points and fined £5,360,272.31.  The panel found that Saracens had breached Premiership salary cap regulations in the seasons  2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. Specifically, the panel found that the club failed to disclose payment …

Racing 92 rounded off the opening round of the Heineken Champions Cup in style with a 30-10 victory over Saracens in Paris.  It was all one-way traffic from the get-go as the French outfit dominated a largely second-string Saracens from start to finish. Virimi Vakatawa got Racing off the mark with their first try after nine minutes before Maxime Machenaud …

Mark McCall has refused to comment further on the sanctions placed on Saracens by Premiership Rugby for breaching the salary cap regulations over the past three seasons. The club were fined over £5.3 million earlier this week on top of a 35-point deduction in the Premiership table for failing to disclose payments to players in each of the seasons 2016-17, …

EPCR, the governing body of European club rugby, have released a brief statement stating their disappointment with Saracens not attending the official launch of the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup today in Cardiff.  Today’s event in Cardiff sees all participating teams in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup represented by respective coaches and players where among other things, they …

Saracens say they are “shocked and disappointed” in relation to the outcome of the independent disciplinary panel’s investigation into the alleged breaches of the salary cap.  Premiership Rugby this morning confirmed that Saracens failed to disclose payments to players in each of the seasons 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19, in addition to having exceeded the ceiling for payments to senior players …

Reigning Premiership and European champions Saracens have been hit with a huge fine and points deduction following an investigation into alleged breaches of the Premiership Rugby Salary Cap.  The charges, which relate to the seasons 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19, were brought in June 2019 following a nine-month investigation by Premiership Rugby. The findings of the independent panel who conducted the …

Billy Vunipola has admitted that he feels regret for how his controversial comments which he made in April affected his Saracens teammates.  Vunipola was the subject of a warning from the RFU after the England number eight defended Israel Folau’s anti-homosexual views on social media. Vunipola wrote on Instagram: “There just comes a point when you insult what I grew …

England Rugby have confirmed that Mako Vunipola will undergo surgery for a hamstring injury sustained during Saracens Heineken Champions Cup final win over Leinster last weekend.  The Saracens prop has been ruled out for three months meaning he will miss the remainder of the Premiership season. It is thought that Vunipola will be fit for England’s World Cup campaign in …

“Fine margins” was the commonly used expression coming out of the Leinster camp in the aftermath of their loss to Saracens in the Heineken Champions Cup final.  And it’s not surprising. Saracens were the better team on the day and they deserved their victory over the course of the 80 minutes but Leinster will look back at some crucial moments, …

For Leinster, there isn’t much time to dwell on their defeat to Saracens as they have a season-defining clash with Munster on Saturday in the Guinness PRO14 semi-final.  Most professional rugby players will tell you, having a game to look forward to is the best way to deal with the disappointment that comes with defeat. However, the Heineken Champions Cup …

It’s no surprise to hear Johnny Sexton describe Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup final between Saracens and Leinster as similar to a Test match. One only needs to take a look at the starting XVs for both sides to see international quality littered throughout. When it comes to the physicality stakes, Irish sides, be it provincial or national, pride themselves on …

Sean McMahon reporting from Newcastle.  “We’re obviously very gutted,” Leinster head coach Leo Cullen began when asked to reflect on his side’s 20-10 loss to Saracens in the Heineken Champions Cup final.  The 41-year-old had just witnessed his side fall to a relentless and powerful Saracens outfit and the sense of disappointment was all too obvious as he gave his …

Saracens have won the Heineken Champions Cup trophy for the third time in their history after dethroning Leinster at St. James Park this afternoon.  It’s the third time in four seasons that the English club have lifted European club rugby’s top prize and Irishman, Mark McCall, has been an ever-present in all three of those victories. The Saracens director of …

Sean McMahon reporting from St James Park, Newcastle.  With a 10-3 lead after a bruising opening 40 minutes, Leinster were in an ideal position as they looked to enter the halftime break seven points to the good. In a final which was always going to be decided by the finest of margins, Leinster’s decision to keep the ball alive when …

Leinster 10 Saracens 20 Sean McMahon reports from St James’ Park, Newcastle. Just like it was three weeks ago at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, a try from Billy Vunipola broke the hearts of Irish rugby supporters. Vunipola showed incredible strength and dexterity to stretch out his arm and ground the ball under the posts in the second half of …

It’s tight, it’s tense, it’s enthralling and to no surprise whatsoever, it’s level. Leinster and Saracens are tied at 10-10 at half-time in the 2019 Heineken Champions Cup final. It’s a battle that you simply cannot take your eyes off as the top two sides in the continent went hammer and tongs in a bruising first 40 minutes. Sexton opened …