It is official.
The great dynasty of modern day English club rugby looks to be over.
The defending Gallagher Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup winner Saracens are to be relegated at the end of the 2019-2020 season Premiership Rugby has confirmed.
The relegation follows the conclusion of dialogue between Premiership Rugby and Saracens over the club’s compliance with the Salary Cap Regulations this season, which began in November 2019 after the club received a 35 point deduction and £5.4m fine in respect of breaches in past three seasons.
Chief Executive of Premiership Rugby Darren Childs, said: "Premiership Rugby is prepared to take strong action to enforce the regulations governing fair competition between our clubs.
"At the conclusion of dialogue with Saracens about their compliance with the Salary Cap Regulations, it has been decided that Saracens will be relegated at the end of this season.
"At the same as enforcing the existing regulations, we want to ensure a level playing field for all clubs in the future, which is why we have asked Lord Myners to carry out an independently-led review of the Salary Cap. As part of this process, we will soon be announcing an open consultation so that everyone involved in the game has the opportunity to contribute to its future.
"The actions that we have taken – dealing with breaches of the current regulations and reviewing the system for the future – will help us to build a stronger league and uphold the confidence of supporters."
Following the decision over Saracens’ relegation, the club will continue to compete in Gallagher Premiership Rugby through to the end of the 2019-20 season.
Neil Golding, chairman of Saracens, said: "As the new chairman of Saracens I acknowledge the club has made errors in the past and we unreservedly apologise for those mistakes.
"I and the rest of the board are committed to overseeing stringent new governance measures to ensure regulatory compliance going forward.’’
There is now expected to be an exodus of players from the club, many potentially on loan deals, with more than a dozen active internationals at the club including half the England team, as Saracens will be made to compete in the Greene King IPA Championship for the 2020/21 season.
