If the Salary Cap was removed.........

[Dave Angel]

Correct, I would still keep the salary cap (largely) as it is.

I may possibly increase the level a bit, but not by much & certainly wouldn't base it on turnover or remove it completely.


You are tweaking Ashton's comments to suit your argument though.

He said that basic skills were missing from the Premiership. That's BASIC skills! The kind that should be a grounding for ALL players, not just the top, expensive stars. Raising the salary cap wouldn't resolve this problem. If anything, it might actually worsen it as more imports would be brought in and rising English talent would be lost even firther into the rugby mire.

[Kinoulton]

The lower leagues of football have been somewhat stabilised by clubs' salaries being capped to a precentage of their turnover. This is very sensible. It means that Nottingham Forest are not forced to spend as little on wages as, say Crewe Alexander. But it does mean that neither club can be financially ruined overnight by an over-ambitious chairman / manager.

The top European clubs are out of control though, because clubs like Chelsea and Real Madrid are allowed to run at a huge loss and build up massive debts. If their protective sugar-daddies ever take their platinum credit cards away, it will be a right mess.

Incidentally. Are there any regs which would prevent an endangered mega-rich Russian buying a Rugby Union Club to ensure his high profile and hence safety in Britain?

[Dave Angel]

No general rules that I know of Kinoulton. However it couldn't happen at Tigers as there are rules in place here that stop any one person wowning more than 10% (I think) of the shares of the company.