Maro Itoje said yesterday that he believed his investments with Saracens owner Nigel Wray were “above board” when they were made.
The owner’s projects with Itoje were among the offences that contributed towards Saracens being found in breach of the Premiership’s £7 million salary cap in three consecutive seasons. Wray also had co-investment deals with leading internationals Owen Farrell and the Vunipola brothers, Mako and Billy.
The independent report into Saracens’ salary cap breaches revealed that Wray had invested £250,000 into Itoje’s company. The report also found that Wray and two other Saracens directors had overpaid by £871,000 for a 30 per cent stake in Itoje’s image rights company, while the England lock had also been paid £95,000 over three years by a hospitality company
