Saracens are facing calls to be “thrown out” of the Gallagher Premiership over the salary cap scandal which has rocked English rugby.
The reigning champions, who contributed eight of England’s World Cup final squad, have been hit with a 35-point deduction and a £5.36m fine for breaching regulations in each of the last three seasons.
Pending a review, which they have 14 days to formally request, the points penalty cuts them 30 points adrift at the foot of the table.
But Tony Rowe, chief executive of Exeter, who Saracens have beaten in the last two Twickenham finals, believes the punishment is too lenient.
Asked what he felt was the appropriate sanction he said: “Relegation. In professional sport in America, if you're in breach of the salary cap you get thrown out completely.”
Rowe added: “They should be suspended until they can prove their squad is within the salary cap.
“They have already broken the salary cap this year because they have played three games in this year’s Premiership with the same squad, if not better than they had last year.
“I hope Premier Rugby make them reduce their squad immediately. If I was there, I’d be saying that can’t compete until you reduce your squad and you are within the salary cap.”
Saracens have been told they do not have to give up any trophies won in the past three seasons. They also claim they will not have to sell players.
That has not gone down well with John Kingston, former boss of arch-rivals Harlequins, who believes they should be stripped of titles won in the three years they are adjudged to have financially doped.
“I think the general consensus within the game is that the £5m-plus fine and the points deduction cannot rectify what has gone on for years,” he told inews.
“Frankly I have to say I will not be alone in thinking the trophies and medals Saracens won during the proven period should be taken away from them. It happened to Melbourne Storm in rugby league.”
World Cup winner Will Greenwood reckons the controversy - which ranks up with the Bloodgate scandal involving Quins 10 years ago, will throw the likes of Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola into “emotional turmoil”.
“It is difficult to underestimate the huge impact this is going to have on one of England’s most successful sporting clubs,” Greenwood told Sky Sports.
“The emotional and mental turmoil these players will be going through to understand ‘where does this leave me and my families’?
“They’re not just pieces of meat to be traded, they are living breathing family human souls who care deeply about their club and the sport and now are in an unbelievably awkward situation that will take, I suspect, weeks if not months to organise, which will leave them in limbo for a huge amount of time. And that is a terrible place to find oneself.”
