WARREN GATLAND will be unable to select any Saracens players in the planned Lions warm-up game against Japan – unless the Lions pay the Premiership for their services.
The Murrayfield game on June 26 falls outside the international window. But it was thought Gatland would have the likes of Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell, Mako Vunipola and Jamie George available because they are now Championship players.
The Championship final second-leg is the week before on June 19, so Saracens' season will have finished. World Rugby rules stipulate that players must be released from the first week of July, but Premiership Rugby are refusing to release players for the Japan game.
Because Saracens are still Premiership Rugby stakeholders, their players are bound by the Premiership rules.
The Lions will likely make a one-off payment to the Premiership for players to be released.
