Premiership Salary Cap Rises To £4m

The salary cap for rugby clubs in the Guinness Premiership has risen to £4m for next season and will be subject to a number of increased inspection measures to ensure that clubs are adhering to it.

The decision taken by the league’s governing body Premier Rugby increases the level from the current cap of £2.25m, although there has been flexibilities in place to allow for injuries which can extend that up to £3.4m.

A vote will be taken later in January as to whether to set the £4m figure to encapsulate all of this in one simple sum, also incorporating a normal inflationary rise into the basic cap.

The salary cap in England was introduced nine years ago however there have been more and more doubts about the strictness of the adherence to its limits by many clubs over the past 12 months, as the influx of foreign World Cup stars has risen.

Among the proposals concerning the new limit is Premier Rugby’s intention to create a new administrative department and recruit an official to ensure the enforcement of the cap.

Commented a Premier Rugby spokesman: ‘There is no question that the cap has been a success. It has helped create the most hotly contested club competition going and the question was asked at a recent board meeting whether clubs wanted the scheme to continue.

‘The answer was a unanimous yes, and there was also agreement that everyone had to stick to the cap. Extra resources are being made available to ensure that we are able to properly monitor spending on wages.

‘We have had a system in place up to now, but from next season we will be able to investigate more thoroughly than we have been able to before. There is no evidence that clubs have overspent in the past, but scrutinising the cap is a job in itself and money will be made available for an appointment to be made.’