Premiership Rugby have today confirmed the changes to the salary cap that have been widely rumoured over the last few days.
From the 2015-2016 season, the salary cap level will be £5.5 million (rising from £5 million) plus £400,000 Home Grown Player (a player who joined a club’s academy prior to the age of 18 and has been at the club for more than two years) Credits. Each club will also be able to nominate up to two players whose salaries are excluded from the salary cap.
Premiership Rugby CEO Mark CCafferty said the increased salary cap level was a result of increased income at the clubs, and was aimed at levelling the playing field in Europe.
“The level of the Salary Cap is linked to central revenues which have increased significantly in recent years, as a result of new broadcast partner in BT Sport, new European revenues and the recent contract signed with our title sponsor, Aviva,” said McCafferty.
“This increase in central revenues has allowed us to increase the Salary Cap and further help our clubs compete in both the new European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup.”
He also confirmed that the clubs voted in favour of an additional ‘Excluded Player’ whose salary would not be counted within the cap.
“Currently the ‘Excluded’ player (from the Salary Cap) can be nominated from a club’s current squad giving the clubs the ability to keep investing in English players to ensure they stay in Aviva Premiership Rugby,” said McCafferty.
“That will continue, but from the 2015-16 season clubs will be able to nominate a second ‘Excluded’ player. This will allow our clubs to attract the best players from other competitions who will add to our TV and commercial values. The second ‘Excluded’ player must be new to Aviva Premiership Rugby in the 2015-16 season and/or have not played in the competition for at least 12 months.”
The number of English qualified players plying their trade in the Premiership has topped 70% for the first time this season, and McCafferty says the new Salary Cap laws will allow clubs to keep building on that.
“The increase in the base level of the Salary Cap will help our clubs to retain English talent. Also the introduction of Home Grown Player Credits helps the enviable production line that has been established from our Academies to our Premiership squads and on to England.
“England and their clubs are getting stronger because of our commitment to the development of world class England players in Aviva Premiership Rugby; the most competitive league in the world. It is an essential part of our league and the strength of our system.
“Earlier in the summer we saw an England Under-20s team dominated by players from our Academies win their second IRB Junior World Cup in 12 months so the production line is getting stronger.”
What do you make of the new salary cap laws? Will they be good for the game in England?
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