Glenn Delaney, interim head coach of London Irish, insists there can be no second chances for Premiership salary cap cheats beyond the end of this season.
Despite denials from Premiership Rugby, The Rugby Paper understands top-flight clubs under suspicion of salary cap abuse have been granted an amnesty until the end of this month, after which any team caught cheating will face the full range of sanctions.
Clubs can be docked between four and 40 points for breaching the cap, which currently stands at £5m but rises to £5.5m plus two marquee players next season, and Delaney wants assurances that all top-flight clubs will be operating on a level playing field.
Delaney, who becomes Irish’s head of rugby operations on July 1 told The Rugby Paper: “The salary cap has got to be enforced for the long-term sustainability of the league. There is an element of control at the moment, but if you have a free-for-all it will be chaos.
“The regulations are set, they’re there to protect everyone and everybody has signed up to those self-imposed rules, so if there are transgressions they should be dealt with.
“You need cast-iron proof that something’s happening but, ultimately, the only people who can regulate finance and audit it are the appointed people at Premiership Rugby.
“If people are doing it, the sanctions should be applied. Premiership Rugby are the body of governance, the criteria are there, so let’s use them.”
Delaney, meanwhile, has dismissed Welsh media reports linking him with the vacant director of rugby role at Cardiff Blues.
Around 30 applications have been received but not one from Delaney. He said: “I’m not sure where that came from but I’ve got a pretty big job here.”
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