Nigel Wray retires from Saracens with immediate effect

More change at Saracens.

Reigning European and English champions Saracens have this morning announced that club chairman Nigel Wray is retiring with immediate effect. In a short statement released on the club website in the last hour, Wray pointed to it being a time for change in every sense of the word;

“As we enter a new year, a new decade, it is time for the Club to make a fresh start. I am not getting any younger and feel this is the right moment for me to stand down as Chairman and just enjoy being a fan of this incredible rugby club. I will always be committed to the wonderful Saracens family. The Wray family will continue to provide the required financial support to the Club, and I will remain actively engaged in the work of the Saracens Sport Foundation and Saracens High School, as part of the Club’s ongoing commitment to our community in north London.”

Saracens were rocked at the beginning of this season when they were fined £5.4 million and deducted 35 league points for breaching the salary cap over a number of previous seasons. Saracens, and Nigel Wray, were found to have provided extra investments for players through companies including VunProp Ltd (Mako and Billy Vunipola) and Faz Investments Ltd (Owen Farrell). They currently sit 18 points behind second-from-bottom Leicester and remain in with a chance of qualification for the last eight of the Champions Cup. The club announced late in 2019 that they would not be appealing the decision and sanctions against them, and have already announced the departure of star fullback Liam Williams. The statement also confirms a slight reshuffling, Edward Griffiths will take up the role of interim CEO for a 12-month period while Mitesh Velani will assume a consultancy position at the Club and remain on the board.