Edward Griffiths, the chief executive of Saracens, stressed yesterday that the English club's growing notoriety is ill-deserved and railed at being cast as "South African raiders" in the English game.
While Saracens have been praised for their storming passage into the Premiership final on Saturday, they have been mired in controversy off the pitch. The appeal against the 14-week touchline ban on Brenden Venter, their director of rugby, for making gestures towards fans during the victory at Leicester on May 8 was expected to be heard last night.
Crucially, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) sanction prohibits Venter from entering Twickenham for the final. Saracens were infuriated by the punishment, igniting a war of words with the RFU that saw Griffiths threatened with a possible misconduct charge
Eddie Jones, the coach, left last season amid reports of disquiet at the growing South African influence at the club, but Griffiths denied they had sought to upset anyone. "There's probably a perception of the South Africanisation of Saracens that's wide of the mark," he said. "It doesn't exist.
"Just look at the players we've produced through the academy. The soul of this club remains emphatically English. The idea that we're South African raiders trying to tear up the fabric of English rugby is nonsense.
"If we have gained any notoriety then it's not deserved. We're as enthusiastic for the values of English rugby as anyone."
* PA
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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