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Geordan Murphy: Leicester expect Premiership-wide salary cap inquiry after Saracens scandal


Leicester Tigers are second from bottom in the league, above only relegation-doomed Saracens in the table

Leicester Tigers boss Geordan Murphy says they would welcome a Premiership-wide salary cap investigation and be happy to open their books.

Saracens are to be relegated from the Premiership for breaching the cap.

The decision followed an inquiry into business partnerships between owner Nigel Wray and some of their players.

Asked if he now expects the accounts of every club to come under forensic scrutiny, Murphy said. “Yes. I think Premiership Rugby is going to do that.

Talking to BBC East Midlands Today, the head coach and soon to become director of rugby of the 10-time English champions said: “I haven’t got a definitive answer, yes or no (about an investigation), but I presume they will.

“Our books are perfectly clean and I would be very happy for them to look at those.”

Struggling Leicester are likely to benefit more than most from Sarries’ relegation, as they are currently second from bottom in the league and above only the London club.

After first handing Premiership and European champions Saracens a 35-point penalty and £5.36m fine for breaching the salary cap over three years, the league announced a “comprehensive review” of the regulations.

While that has been set up to deal with a “framework” of the rules, no wider inquiry to ensure all clubs comply has been forthcoming.

Exeter boss Rob Baxter, whose side lost the past two Premiership finals to Sarries, said the way the club has been dealt with will help restore confidence in the competition.

Asked if the game was better off for what has been described as ‘the most remarkable scandal in the domestic game’, Baxter told BBC Sport: “Yes, I think so. Premiership Rugby will be, won’t it?

“There has been something like this in background, around Sarries or even at other clubs in the past, about what is really happening around the salary cap.

“This probably clears most things up more than anything else could.”

Baxter also said that the unprecedented action to relegate Saracens will be a major deterrent.

“One thing that everyone knows now is that if you do have a desire to try work around the salary cap and you get caught you are going to get pretty heavily punished,” he added.

“I’d like to think that this leads to a period where there is a confidence that clubs are working to the salary cap because everyone will be very aware of the consequences if they don’t.”



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