Friday 3 January 2020 05:51, UK
Nigel Wray has brought his time as Saracens chairman to a close, having been part of the club since the early days of professional rugby union.
The 71-year-old has been instrumental in transforming the north London outfit into one of the powerhouses of European club rugby, although that reputation has been somewhat tarnished following the recent punishment for salary cap infringements.
Here, we take a look back on the highs and lows from Wray's near-on 25-year association with Saracens…
When rugby union's governing body legalised professionalism in 1995, Saracens had just been promoted back to what was then the Courage National League Division One as champions of the second tier and were playing out of their traditional Bramley Road base in Southgate.
Wray, who made his fortune in property, decided to invest in Sarries in November of that year having - by his own admission - watched just a handful of games and although the season ended with only winless West Hartlepool finishing below them in the table it did not take long for him to make a mark.
The recruitment of Australian great Michael Lynagh, French star Philippe Sella and England scrum-half Kyran Bracken signalled a statement of intent and ambition, as did South Africa's World Cup-winning captain Francois Pienaar joining as player-coach in 1997.
"I look back at it now and we had Lynagh, Sella, Pienaar and all that lot training here (at Bramley Road), but that was rugby in those days," Wray recalled for Sarries Rugby TV in 2015.
"I can still remember a conversation in 1996 when we discussed whether we should have a full-time coach.
"That's how far the game has come and we've got six or seven now, so the professionalism is extraordinary."
It was not just on the field where changes were being made though, with Saracens making the bold decision to relocate to Watford Football Club's Vicarage Road ground for the 1997/98 season following a short spell at Southbury Road in Enfield.
Success came quickly for Saracens in the early days of Wray's tenure, with the club claiming their first major trophy when they lifted the Tetley's Bitter Cup at Twickenham in 1998.
Wins over Blackheath, Leicester, Richmond and Northampton set up a showdown with Wasps in the showpiece game, where Sarries ran out 48-18 winners in front of 65,000 people to send Sella and Lynagh into retirement on a high.
It proved something of a false dawn though and despite the likes of Wayne Shelford, Alan Gaffney and future England head coach Eddie Jones having spells in charge, and more big-name signings such as Thomas Castaignede and rugby league star Andy Farrell, silverware proved elusive.
That was until the arrival of Brendan Venter as director of rugby.
"We started out with good ideas, finished second in the league and won the cup, but we then spent the next 10 or so years meandering," Wray said in 2017.
"Then Brendan Venter, a tough South African, arrived as director of rugby in 2009. He asked: 'What does Saracens stand for?' And no one knew.
"What Brendan said - which has had such an impact - is that Saracens is going to stand for building great memories together, for working hard on the field of play, and for enjoying our time with each other on and off the field."
Venter, combined with South African group Remgro taking a 50 per cent stake in the club alongside Wray, set the club on the path to a long-awaited maiden Premiership title in 2011, but Sarries were continuing to break new ground off the field as well.
They became the first team to hold a club rugby union match at Wembley when they faced Northampton Saints at the iconic venue in September 2009, along with forming a global network of partner clubs.
Wray and his partners oversaw the club's return to north London in 2013 as well, transforming Barnet Copthall athletics stadium into the venue now known as Allianz Park with the first artificial playing surface in top-flight English rugby.
Venter's reign itself was not without controversy, including several run-ins with officialdom, but results-wise it helped push Saracens to a preeminent position in English rugby before he left as director of rugby in January 2011, with Mark McCall stepping up to replace him.
Venter was alongside McCall at Twickenham that May though in a technical role as the kicking of a 19-year-old fly-half by the name of Owen Farrell, plus a try from James Short, helped Sarries avenge the previous year's defeat as they triumphed 22-18 for the first of five Premiership titles this decade.
After two semi-final appearances and finishing runners-up to Northampton in 2014, success came again in 2015 with a second Premiership crown and an Anglo-Welsh Cup triumph. However, the following year saw them conquer Europe by lifting the Champions Cup for the first time.
Having already defended their English title, Saracens beat Racing 92 21-9 in the final in Lyon as Farrell kicked seven penalties from seven attempts.
They repeated their European feats the following year, beating Clermont 28-17 at Murrayfield on the back of tries from England internationals Chris Ashton, George Kruis and Alex Goode.
By now, Saracens were firmly established among the elite of European rugby, with a squad comprising the cream of their home-grown talent and several high-profile international recruits.
Wray resumed full ownership of the club in April 2018 as well after buying out his South African partners, with Sarries going on to make it a fourth Premiership title in eight seasons soon after.
A second Premiership and European double followed in 2019, but there were clouds on the horizon as allegations of salary cap infringements during the 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons started to swirl.
Those were eventually proven in November last year, with Saracens being fined £5.65m and being handed a 35-point deduction by Premiership rugby following a nine-month investigation into arrangements between Wray and the club's players including England stars Farrell, Maro Itoje, and Billy and Mako Vunipola.
"For over 25 years, I have put my heart and soul into the game I love," Wray said at the time. "This is absolutely devastating for everyone associated with this amazing group of players, staff, partners and fans.
"It has been acknowledged by the panel that we never deliberately sought to mislead anyone or breach the cap and that's why it feels like the rug is being completely pulled out from under our feet."
Despite that, Saracens eventually decided not to appeal the punishment and are now currently battling to secure their Premiership status after the points deduction left them adrift at the foot of the table.
It was in the wake of this Wray announced his decision to retire as club chairman just two days into 2020. Nevertheless, Saracens fans in particular will continue to hold him in high regard for the memories created in the past quarter of a century.
