SALFORD, England (AP) — The most one-sided result in the history of Europe’s top division in rugby league is subject to an investigation over whether the sport was brought "into disrepute".
Salford was thrashed 82-0 by St. Helens on Saturday in the opening round of the Super League, which currently contains teams from England and France.
Salford — from northwest England — decided to field a weakened lineup containing mostly young reserve players for the match because the club is under salary-cap restrictions by the Rugby Football League, the governing body for the English game. Those restrictions were kept in place despite Salford announcing the completion of a takeover by a new consortium after months of financial problems.
“The RFL have today contacted Salford Red Devils to confirm that a compliance investigation will be launched to consider the circumstances around their squad selection for Saturday’s Super League fixture at St Helens,” the governing body said Monday, “and whether they have brought the sport into disrepute.”
The investigation could result in Salford being charged with a breach of operational rules, including the requirement that each club “has at all times a squad of players sufficient to meet its obligations in all competitions.”
Salford is facing a range of potential sanctions, the harshest being a points deduction.
Sam Burgess, a former England and Britain player who is now the coach of Warrington Wolves in the Super League, was among those criticizing Salford, saying the team selection left “a kind of black mark on the competition.”
The 82-0 score was a record win in the Super League since its first season in 1996.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
The Associated Press
