Premiership transfer loophole closed

Premiership clubs have changed a rule involving player contracts due to recent transfer activities.

The change comes into effect following England wing Jonny May's controversial transfer from Gloucester to Leicester Tigers, which was completed thanks to a clause in his contract that allowed him to move on, even whilst under contract, for a fixed compensation fee.

12 Premiership clubs voted unanimously to close this loophole after a meeting on Tuesday. Prior to the change, the regulation in the Premiership code of conduct enabled a player to be bought out of his contract by another club for a set transfer fee.

The fee was a one-off payment of one year's salary of what the player was being offered by the club trying to purchase him, or what he was currently being paid – whichever was higher.

According to BBC Sport, the change now sees the fee becoming a negotiation between the two clubs. The desired outcome of this change is to protect smaller teams from losing their young talent on lower salaries being taken away for small fees.