Premiership Transfer Loophole Closed

Following talks on Tuesday, the 12 Premiership clubs voted unanimously to close the controversial contract loophole that allowed Jonny May leave Gloucester to join Leicester Tigers for a fixed compensation fee.

The clubs acted quickly after May used the regulation to make the switch to Welford Road, despite still being under contract.

May scored 41 tries in 91 Premiership appearances for the Cherry & Whites and his presence in an exciting Tigers backline will bring a clincal edge to Matt O' Connor's attack, following the departures of Peter Betham and JP Pietersen to the TOP14.

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 between the two clubs was a one-off payment of a year's salary of what the player was being offered by the club trying to secure his signature, or what he was currently being paid - whichever was higher.

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