Assess/discuss the damage caused by Saracens

Professional rugby will not recover it's integrity as long as those responsible for at least six years of sustained cheating are still in position.

What sort of fall-out No7? Not saying there isn’t any, it’s just that you’ve started a post without spelling out what the damage/problem is... 

No 7 wrote: In my opinion Saracens have done irreparable damage to the Sport of Rugby Union. The core values of integrity , respect, honesty and all round fair play, the list is endless and all have been breached . Cheating to win repeatedly and taking the top prize ,year after year. We have lost all credibility and I can not see a way back, especially in the exposure of the depth of `cheating` and the subsequent punishment . I believe that the players do have a responsibility and saying that any player would not question their `over payment` is like saying would anyone refuse a bribe !. They are party to the cheating and should hold their hands up and be accountable regardless of their standing in the game, all of the England players should be addressed first , start at the top. Alternatively we gradually descend down the slope into the mire if left unaddressed.

I agree with much of that, players are not that stupid - they will know roughly how much each are getting and continue recruitment of seasoned internationals was a sure indication of wrong-doings.

where they may have been led astray is the setting up of companies partnerships outside of rugby which they were probably told was not a problem.

I think the club administration is to blame, but the players were not whiter than white.

To be fair to Saracens, reality is they are probably not the only ones! Yes they did with the European Cup a few times but they were also against the French clubs which makes what ever Saracens spent look like a bargain. They have contributed massively to the England rugby team as well.

I agree with Count Ford, it is how we deal with head injuries that will determine where the game goes. Rugby is a minority sport, one team in Christmas University Challenge didn’t know which country won the 2020 6 Nations so it doesn’t have a high profile. Compare what Saracens did to what many soccer Clubs do in breaking or bending the FFP rules and most people won’t be bothered.

WEvans wrote: Professional rugby will not recover it's integrity as long as those responsible for at least six years of sustained cheating are still in position. When the Cheats are placed back in the Premiership it will be confirmation that the professional game in this country is totally Lovely.

The Blues wrote: To be fair to Saracens, reality is they are probably not the only ones! Yes they did with the European Cup a few times but they were also against the French clubs which makes what ever Saracens spent look like a bargain. They have contributed massively to the England rugby team as well. For years the Cheats said prove they were breaking the salary cap so you need to prove they weren't the only ones for that to have any credibility. As for winning European cups that was on the back of the cheating allowing them to rotate players.  One of the main reasons why Saracens I would suggest fell foul of the salary cap rules is because they invested in their young players to make them international players, which therefore command that salary. I believe they get some for of credits for this but how can it be fair by investing in your players you need to say to them to get lost as you cannot afford them anymore. That's the way a salary cap works. Successful teams have to offload players. Look at the way salary caps work in other countries such as rugby league in Australia. Former Cheats DoR (when they weren't cheating) Mark Evans has explained it very well on a number of occasions. It would make more sense and this would help Chiefs that if the players have been with you say since the age of 21 then they fall outside of the salary cap. A reward for training young players, which would help youth development and ultimately England rugby. It would but it wasn't in place meaning the Cheats cheated. I double anyone outside of rugby really cares about Saracens misdemeanours now and I would say most in rugby don’t really either. They have been punished. Cheating for at least six years is not a misdemeanour. If you think most rugby folks don't care about their cheating then you are grossly insulting them.   If your employer offered you more money would you look into the legitimacy of the payment? The answer is no, as you wouldn’t be able to and who would question getting more money, you are generally happy that your contribution is being recognised by being rewarded more. Like most my profession doesn't have a salary cap so this is totally irrelevant however it does have a minimum wage and I wouldn't employ people at less than the minimum wage. Maybe you would.  I heard that some of the relegated clubs from the Premiership have effectively been over the Premiership salary cap to secure promotion back. As the Cheats said for years and years .... prove it! I also heard Elvis is alive.  The only way to make things fair and sustainable is a proper financial fair play system, but that probably won’t happen. Agreed. Are Ealing abusing their position of having a wealthy owner by regularly signing the best Championship players off the other clubs to only make them water carriers? They do not need a squad of 45+, so is the true aim to make their rivals deliberately weaker and thus remove competition? Is it fair that the England team have trained with Ealing on occasions? Are they getting special treatment? Ealing are not cheating. England are not cheating by training with Ealing.