Saracens could be thrown out of Champions Cup after investigation launched into ineligible player

Reigning champions have informed EPCR that Titi Lamositele’s work permit expired a day before the round six victory over Racing 92 last month and may have been ineligible as a result

Saracens are at risk of being thrown out of the Heineken Champions Cup this season after they admitted they may have fielded an ineligible player in their recent pool stage victory over Racing 92.

The club, which is already facing relegation from the Premiership at the end of the season due to the salary cap scandal, contacted European Premier Club Rugby to inform the governing body that replacement prop Titi Lamositele played against the French side a day after his work permit expired, which may result in the United States international being ruled ineligible.

The 24-year-old came on in the round six fixture in the 60th minute, helping Saracens to a 27-24 victory that carried them through to the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup, setting up a last-eight clash with Leinster in a rematch of last season’s final.

With a hearing set to take place in London on Friday evening, Saracens will learn their fate ahead of England’s Six Nations clash in Scotland on Saturday, adding yet another extra layer to the Calcutta Cup clash that needed no extra fuel to be doused on the flames. The investigation could have serious ramifications on this season’s Champions Cup, given that any alteration to the result between Racing 92 and Saracens could also affect the quarter-final clash between the French side and Clermont Auvergne as their seeding could be improved.

An EPCR statement read: "Following an investigation, EPCR has decided to bring a misconduct complaint against Saracens arising from the club’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 6 match against Racing 92 on Sunday, 19 January.

"EPCR was informed by Saracens earlier this week that their player, Titi Lamositele, who was named in the match day squad for the fixture at Allianz Park and who came on to the field of play as a replacement in the 60th minute, may have been ineligible due an inadvertent administrative error on behalf of the club.

"Lamositele was eligible at the time the Saracens match day squad was announced, however, the club has indicated to EPCR that the player’s work permit expired on Saturday, 18 January, the day before the fixture against Racing 92, and this may have constituted a breach of the Disciplinary Rules of the 2019/20 EPCR Participation Agreement.

"An independent Disciplinary Committee consisting of Roger Morris (Wales), Chair, Pamela Woodman (Scotland) and Jean-Noel Couraud (France) has been appointed to hear the misconduct complaint in London this evening (Friday, 7 February) at 18.00 local time."

EPCR have issued various sanctions for fielding ineligible players, ranging from a suspended 10,000 euros fine to Scarlets in 2016 due to unused replacement Jacob Cowley, to overturning Grenoble’s 20-9 victory over London Welsh in 2012 to a 28-0 defeat due to Lotu Taukeiaho’s ineligibility.

But on those previous occasions, EPCR have taken action due to players being ineligible through registration matters alone, whereas this applies to Lamositele’s eligibility to live and work in the UK, which could prove a much more complicated process than simply Saracens’ fate in Europe.

Lamositele has also been named to start Saracens’ Premiership Rugby Cup semi-final at Sale Sharks on Friday night, which will kick-off while the hearing is ongoing in London. The loosehead prop also came on in the 55th minute of the Premiership defeat against Saracens on 26 January.