Saracens fined £5,000 over Venter media no-shows — SkimNews
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- Saracens face a series of fines from Prem Rugby after director of rugby Brendan Venter failed to fulfil media commitments, including a £5,000 sanction for his absence from the Prem's pre-season launch day.
- Venter also skipped media duties before, during, and after Saracens' opening-weekend victory at Leicester.
- The Daily Telegraph reported Venter "resigned" as director of rugby last month and took up a new role of "head of rugby culture and wine consultant," with head coach Joe Shaw assuming media duties — though neither the club nor Prem Rugby has confirmed the changes.
- Saracens asked Prem Rugby's permission in July for Shaw to front media commitments, and a job title change would not preclude Venter from his contractual media responsibilities.
- Venter's first spell as director of rugby (from 2009) brought earlier media clashes: in September 2010 the club apologised to ERC officials after captain Steve Borthwick — now England head coach — missed a Heineken Cup launch for a team bonding session at a Munich beer festival.
- In December 2010, Venter was warned by ERC officials after a 24-21 Heineken Cup loss to Racing Metro for short-answering a post-match interview, later saying the tactic was inspired by a scene in the film Mike Bassett: England Manager.
Why it matters: Saracens risk accumulating further fines if Venter keeps dodging media duties, and the unresolved question of his reported re-titling to 'wine consultant' creates a credibility gap with Prem Rugby — since a title change wouldn't release him from contractual media obligations. The episode revives a decade-old pattern of Venter-era resistance to league and European media requirements.
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