Top 14 giants slam ‘pathetic’ salary cap violations claims by Stade Francais owner

Jared Wright 06 Dec 2023 7:15 AM

RCT Toulon president Bernard Lemaître during a Top 14 game.

Toulon have responded to accusations by Stade Francais owner Hans-Peter Wild that they have exceeded the Top 14 salary cap.

The Stade Francais boss namechecked Toulon and rivals Racing 92 in a recent interview, where he accused clubs of exceeding La Ligue Nationale de Rugby’s (LNR) salary cap.

“It should be the same rules for everyone.”

Wild, a German-born Swiss entrepreneur well-known as the owner of Capri-Sun, who purchased Stade Francais in 2017, spoke to Le Parisien about his team’s success this season and the challenges they face compared to other teams.

“We have the disadvantage that everything is more expensive here, rents, cost of living,” the Stade Francais owner said.

“But the salary cap is the same for everyone… I can pay lots of players, but I don’t cheat. When I sign with a player, the total salary is entered.

“There is a written commitment. If there is other undeclared income, it is a criminal offence. It’s really a subject; I’m going to talk about it with René Bouscatel (president of the National Rugby League).”

After finishing in the top four last season, Stade Francais have enjoyed another solid start to the season and currently sit third overall ahead of the European break.

While Wild is pleased by the success of the club so far, he still does not feel that his side is playing on an even field with the rest of the sides.

“We tell ourselves that we must not be good at math; we see the players, the salaries, and we wonder how some manage to respect this salary cap,” he added.

“One day, I took the Toulon team, position by position. They have great pillars, two great second rows, and it continues across all positions. How do they do that with the salary cap? And we can do the same thing with Racing. It’s no fun not playing on the same field. It should be the same rules for everyone.”

During the interview, Wild also said that he believes that Stade Francais is the biggest club in Paris, even bigger than the city’s football clubs like PSG.

“We are the most popular team in Paris, we have a better image than PSG, we are more popular than Racing,” he said.

“Everywhere we talk about Stade Français, the image is very positive. We have potential international if we play well.”

Toulon’s response

Toulon have since issued an official statement in response to Wild’s comments, where they take a few snide shots at the Stade Francais president.

“The Rugby Club Toulonnais has taken note of the statements of Dr Hans Peter Wild, President of Stade Francais Paris, in which he questions the respect of the salary cap by our club,” Toulon’s statement read.

“In this same interview, Doctor Wild mentions the fact that Stade Français is currently more popular than Paris Saint Germain. Perhaps the Capri Sun would have unsuspected euphoric virtues which could have led the owner of Stade Francais to make such allegations, including towards our club and its functioning?”

Toulon’s president, Bernard Lemaitre, added: “The RCT and I respect Stade Français Paris, it is a friendly club. So I was unpleasantly surprised by this simply pathetic output. I wonder what could motivate him.

“The Salary Cap reporting to the LNR and the Salary Cap Manager, is this his way of calling into question this institution and its functioning?

“Perhaps since he says he wants to talk about it with President Bouscatel… Coincidence, we will host Stade Français on December 30 in Mayol. I hope Mr. Wild will take advantage of this match to get to know me better, apologize and share the Capri Sun of friendship.”

France