Wigan Warriors have confirmed they will appeal the points deduction handed to them following a salary cap breach.
The defending Super League champions have had two points deducted for the 2019 season following the breach back in 2017.
The breach relates to six separate payments, totalling £14,700.
Wigan have accepted the fine, but say they will appeal the points deduction.
Wigan Chairman, Ian Lenagan, said: “Throughout this process, Wigan has been fully cooperative and transparent with no suggestion of concealment or deception and acceptance formally of the breach. This is not an integrity or dishonesty issue, purely an administrative error by a new financial team in an exceptionally busy and disruptive circumstance”.
“This breach clearly did not affect the competitive balance of the competition in 2017 yet the immediate deduction of two-points does affect the competitive balance of the competition in 2019.
“I take full responsibility for an admitted breach by Wigan and apologise unreservedly for the error and accept a fine is justified.
“However, in my experience of working in sport and sports governance, a points deduction is the last resort as a sanction for a significant level of breach. I am surprised that Wigan has been handed down a points-deduction sanction for such a marginal offence. Wigan will appeal against that aspect of the penalty.”
