In a long interview granted this Tuesday to our colleagues from Le Parisien, the owner of Stade-Français Paris, Hans-Peter Wild, blamed certain other clubs – Rugby Club Toulonnais and Racing 92 – which he accuses of not respect the salary cap (capping of the payroll, set at 10.7 million euros) in force in the Top 14. The RCT, through its president Bernard Lemaître, responded Tuesday to these accusations, speaking of “ a simply pathetic outing.
Racing 92, in turn, published a press release to respond to the president of Stade Français Paris. “For the record, we remind Stade Français Paris that Racing 92, despite repeated allegations that are as illegitimate as they are slanderous, is subject to annual controls that are certainly more rigorous than elsewhere. Each year, they resulted in a validation of our payroll in accordance with the Salary Cap regulations,” begins the Hauts-de-Seine club. Adding: “For the record, we remind Stade Français Paris that it has not always been the same for it since in 2020 “irregularities” were noted which resulted in the payment of a fine of €300,000 to the National Rugby League.”
Racing 92 continues: “For the record, we remind Stade Français Paris, which seems to have difficulties with arithmetic as its president admits, that it pays us each year a balance of €500,000 for the transfer of a great player, which generates for him a loss of competitiveness of around €1 million compared to Racing 92.”
And to drive the point home: “Beyond the sterile and unfounded controversies, Racing 92 is delighted to see the two Ile-de-France teams deliver beautiful derbies respectful of the values of rugby and is delighted with their respective good rankings in Top 14 at the day before the launch of the Investec Champions Cup.”