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Saracens fined for Heineken Champions Cup launch no-show

Defending champions Saracnes have been fined by the EPCR for failing to send representatives to t...



Defending champions Saracnes have been fined by the EPCR for failing to send representatives to the launch of this season's Heineken Champions Cup in Cardiff. 

Neither head coach Mark McCall nor captain Brad Barritt were present after it was previously indicated they would be there.

Saracens' no-show came a day after they had been fined £5m and docked 35 points for breaching the Gallagher Premiership's salary cap over the course of three seasons.

The reigning Premiership champions have since confirmed they will accept that salary cap deduction and fine.

An EPCR statement says that in light of Sarries' breach of media rules, it's been decided to impose a fine on the club, which has already been paid.

The exact sum will remain undisclosed.

Saracens opened their 2019-20 Heineken Champions Cup Pool 4 campaign with a 30-10 defeat to Racing 92 last week.

They're at home to Ospreys this weekend, before back-to-back games with Munster in December.

The EPCR statement in full reads:

Saracens have accepted that they breached the 2019/20 Heineken Champions Cup Participation Agreement by not making the required club representatives available for a key EPCR promotional event.

On Wednesday, 6 November 2019, Saracens’ Director of Rugby, Mark McCall, and captain, Brad Barritt, did not attend the official Season Launch of the 2019/20 Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup for Premiership and PRO14 clubs which was being staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Having previously indicated that they would be represented at the event, Saracens’ failure to attend constituted a breach of the 2019/20 Heineken Champions Cup Media Rules, and compromised EPCR’s ability to deliver the rights contracted to its broadcast, commercial and media partners.

In light of this breach of its rules, EPCR has decided to impose a fine on Saracens which has been paid by the club, and the sum of which will remain undisclosed.

EPCR appreciates the subsequent efforts made by Saracens to grant rights-holding broadcasters special interview access to members of their Heineken Champions Cup squad in the week before the start of the tournament.

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Brad Barritt Epcr Guinness Pro 14 Heineken Champions Cup Mark McCall Munster Ospreys Racing 92 Saracens