English rugby giants Saracens have been slapped with an unprecedented 35-point deduction and £5million fine for breaching the salary cap.
It's a bombshell for the North London club and will send shockwaves through the global game with Saracens being the current Premiership and Heineken European Cup champions.
It now sees Saracens heading into next weekend's Premiership clash with Gloucester at Kingsholm on minus 26 points and in real danger of being relegated to the Greene King IPA Championship next season.
The punishment comes after a seven-month investigation involving Premiership Rugby and then specialist arbitrators Sport Resolutions, the outcome of which was delayed during the Rugby World Cup so as not to derail England's campaign.
In March a newspaper investigation reported investment partnerships between owner Nigel Wray and top players including England skipper Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Billy and Mako Vunipola.
PRL launched a formal review in April, and it is understood the case was then passed to Sport Resolutions for a formal disciplinary panel late in the summer.
In addition to Farrell, Itoje and the Vunipola brothers, Saracens also have Liam Williams and Vincent Koch on their books and have signed England star Elliot Daly, from Wasps, for the coming season.
Wales and Lions full-back Williams is already wanted by the Ospreys and is reportedly attracting the interest of French big-spenders Toulon.
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