Saracens Fined Over Brendan Venter's Media Avoidance as Club Defends Itself

Saracens have been fined by Premiership Rugby because its executives felt Brendan Venter was avoiding his media obligations, according to the Guardian. The former South Africa international has been at the centre of a strange autumn at the north London club, and the story has moved well beyond the pitch.

Venter's job title has been changed more than once. The Guardian reported on 7 October that it had become head of rugby culture and wine consultant. For a man who was brought in to run the club's rugby, that is an unusual description, and it has been a talking point all month.

Venter has explained why he steers clear of the media. He told the Guardian he dislikes the banality of post-match questions, wants to promote coaches such as Joe Shaw, and does not trust himself to stay out of disciplinary proceedings. Premiership Rugby did not accept that as an excuse, and the fine followed.

His approach to the squad is just as unusual. Venter ran blind wine tastings during pre-season. A blind tasting means the bottles are hidden, so nobody knows the label or the price. Players were judged on how their wine tasted, not on their salary or age. The club's chief executive, chairman and owner took part in a wine-themed event in north London this month, alongside players including Owen Farrell, Ben Earl and George Martin.

The results have not matched the wine talk. Saracens were beaten by Sale in early October, a match a Guardian report described as a cause for concern, and the crowd was thin. The club has also lost to Connacht in the Champions Cup, the leading club competition in Europe.

Off the field, the club has parted ways with 21-year-old player Totoa Auvaa after his latest brush with the law. Saracens have sacked him, and the club has also issued a statement this week defending itself against criticism.

Venter's supporters will say that a club built on culture and trust needs time to show results. His critics will point to the fine, the thin crowds and the defeats, and ask whether the message is getting through on the pitch. Both points are fair. The next few months of Premiership matches should show which one is closer to the mark.