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Saracens are set to receive a series of fines from Prem Rugby due to director of rugby Brendan Venter’s failure to fulfil media commitments.<\/b><\/p>\n
It is understood the club have already been handed a \u00a35,000 sanction after Venter was not present at the Prem’s pre-season launch day.<\/p>\n
The South African also did not speak to the media before, during or after the opening-weekend victory<\/a> at Leicester.<\/p>\n The Daily Telegraph reported earlier on Tuesday, external<\/span><\/a> that 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 responsibility for media commitments.<\/p>\n The report also claims Saracens asked permission in July for Shaw to front the club’s media commitments.<\/p>\n However, none of this has been confirmed by the club nor Prem Rugby.<\/p>\n It is also thought a change of job title would not preclude Venter from his contractual responsibilities.<\/p>\n Saracens announced in January that Venter would be returning to the club<\/a> as director of rugby and have yet to confirm any change to his day-to-day responsibilities.<\/p>\n He succeeded Mark McCall, who stepped down at the end of last season after 15 trophy-laden years in the job.<\/p>\n Venter’s first spell as Sarries’ director of rugby, which began in 2009, also included clashes with authorities over media commitments.<\/p>\n In September 2010, the club apologised to European Rugby Cup (ERC) officials for then-captain Steve Borthwick’s failure to attend the Heineken Cup launch at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.<\/p>\n Borthwick, now England head coach, was the only missing representative from the coaches and captains of 12 English, Welsh and Scottish clubs attending the event.<\/p>\n He had been told by Saracens to instead attend a team bonding session at a beer festival in Munich.<\/p>\n In December 2010, Venter himself was warned by European Rugby Cup officials for a post-match interview<\/a> after his side’s 24-21 Heineken Cup loss to Racing Metro, in which he repeatedly gave short answers, agreeing with whatever was being asked.<\/p>\n He later said it was inspired by a scene in the football mockumentary film, Mike Bassett: England Manager.<\/p>\n Venter left his full-time role at Saracens halfway through the 2010\u201311 season, to be replaced by McCall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n