Saracens head coach Joe Shaw has deflected questions regarding the whereabouts and future of director of rugby Brendan Venter, who has once again failed to appear for a scheduled media engagement. Venter was absent from Wednesday’s pre-match press conference ahead of the club’s upcoming fixture against Sale, marking his latest avoidance of mandatory media duties following his non-appearance at the Premiership Rugby season launch and the opening victory against Leicester. Sport has contacted Saracens for comment.
Recent reports from The Daily Telegraph suggested that Venter has resigned from his current director of rugby position to take on a role as head of rugby culture and ‘wine consultant’. However, neither Saracens nor Premiership Rugby has officially verified this transition. When asked if Venter would continue fulfilling the media obligations typically required of a director of rugby, Shaw declined to address the specifics, stating he would only speak about rugby matters and leaving club-level personnel issues for official statements. I’ll leave the club to talk about where we stand on all those kind of things.
The club is already grappling with the fallout of Venter’s absences, reportedly incurring a £5,000 fine for his failure to attend the league’s pre-season launch. While Saracens announced Venter’s return to the director role this past January to succeed the long-serving Mark McCall—who departed after a 15-year tenure—it is believed that any shift in job title would not exempt him from established contractual obligations. It is understood Sarries have already been fined £5,000 after Venter was not present at the Prem’s pre-season launch day.
Beyond the administrative uncertainty, Saracens are managing a significant injury blow following their narrow 40-38 victory over Leicester. Center Olly Hartley suffered a broken arm just 13 minutes into the match at Welford Road, only a year after returning from a complex knee reconstruction following an injury sustained against Gloucester in April 2024.
Reflecting on the impact of the injury, Shaw noted that the immediate aftermath saw Leicester claw back the score from 14-0 to 14-12. He emphasized the human element of the game, acknowledging that the sight of a teammate suffering a significant injury during the season opener naturally affects the squad. Nevertheless, Shaw praised the team’s composure, noting that they successfully managed the transition and showed good leadership on the pitch to overcome that early adversity.
