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Vunipola: 'No regrets' over Saracens property deal and 'would do it again'
By Online Editors
Mako Vunipola has no regrets over entering the business arrangements that contributed to disgraced Saracens’ relegation from the Gallagher Premiership.
The fallen English and European champions have been docked a total of 105 points to ensure they are demoted to the second tier as punishment for repeated breaches of salary cap regulations.
Vunipola was the recipient of £450,000 that was paid by owner and former chairman Nigel Wray into Vunprop, a company joint owned with his younger brother Billy, with the purpose of buying a house.
The report on the investigation into the breaches for the last three seasons also showed that they received interest-free loans for home renovations.
Wray had entered into property investments with a number of players, claiming that investment is not salary, but the independent panel chaired by Lord Dyson viewed the payments as a way of circumnavigating the £7million salary cap.
Asked if he regrets entering into the arrangements, Vunipola said: “No regrets at all. If I had the choice to do it again, I would do it again knowing what has happened.
“That’s no slight at not caring about what has happened to the club, more the fact that I know rugby is important and our careers are short and I want to look ahead a bit.
“It’s business as usual. In terms of Nigel, he’s still there and backs us. For me and my brother he’s allowed us to just focus on the rugby.”
Vunipola, who along with his Saracens team-mates is exonerated of any blame for the salary cap infringements, never envisaged his co-investment with Wray would have such far-reaching repercussions.
“No, not in the slightest. Nigel presented the opportunity to us and as rugby players our careers aren’t that long,” the England prop said.
“Any opportunity that can help or sort a little bit of our future after rugby, we’re more than willing to look into it. That was our thinking when we first invested with Nigel and that’s not changed.
“He came to us (with the investment), but he also understood that we were looking for further on in our futures and not just in rugby.
“It’s not been a comfortable three weeks, but probably it’s been more difficult for friends and family who hear and read all this stuff. It has been difficult for them.
“When they announced we were definitely relegated that was probably the lowest.”
Jamie George is the only member of Saracens’ England contingent to commit his future to the club for their season in the Championship, but Vunipola is less certain of what lies ahead.
“Right now I don’t really know. Some things need to happen before I can say I’m definitely staying,” Vunipola said.
“There’s things aren’t in my control but hopefully it get sorted sooner rather than later.”
PA
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Latest Comments
In another recent article I tried to argue for a few key concept changes for EPCR which I think could light the game up in the North.
First, I can't remember who pointed out the obvious elephant in the room (a SA'n poster?), it's a terrible time to play rugby in the NH, and especially your pinnacle tournament. It's been terrible watching with seemingly all the games I wanted to watch being in the dark, hardly able to see what was going on. The Aviva was the only stadium I saw that had lights that could handle the miserable rain. If the global appeal is there, they could do a lot better having day games.
They other primary idea I thuoght would benefit EPCR most, was more content. The Prem could do with it and the Top14 could do with something more important than their own league, so they aren't under so much pressure to sell games. The quality over quantity approach.
Trim it down to two 16 team EPCR competitions, and introduce a third for playing amongst the T2 sides, or the bottom clubs in each league should simply be working on being better during the EPCR.
Champions Cup is made up of league best 15 teams, + 1, the Challenge Cup winner. Without a reason not to, I'd distribute it evenly based on each leauge, dividing into thirds and rounded up, 6 URC 5 Top14 4 English. Each winner (all four) is #1 rank and I'd have a seeding round or two for the other 12 to determine their own brackets for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. I'd then hold a 6 game pool, home and away, with consecutive of each for those games that involve SA'n teams. Preferrably I'd have a regional thing were all SA'n teams were in the same pool but that's a bit complex for this simple idea.
That pool round further finalises the seeding for knockout round of 16. So #1 pool has essentially duked it out for finals seeding already (better venue planning), and to see who they go up against 16, 15,etc etc. Actually I think I might prefer a single pool round for seeding, and introduce the home and away for Ro16, quarters, and semis (stuffs up venue hire). General idea to produce the most competitive matches possible until the random knockout phase, and fix the random lottery of which two teams get ranked higher after pool play, and also keep the system identical for the Challenge Cup so everthing is succinct. Top T2 side promoted from last year to make 16 in Challenge Cup
Go to commentsBens got a crush on KLA. So cute.
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