Saracens have terminated the contract of Totoa Auvaa with immediate effect following an altercation in St Albans over the weekend. The decision comes roughly four months after the 21-year-old Samoan forward's involvement in a nightclub fracas that led to the suspension of England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson.
The academy player was involved in an incident on Saturday night in the Hertfordshire town. Saracens announced Auvaa's departure on Monday evening after conducting an internal investigation into his conduct.
In a statement, the club said:
Saracens can confirm that Totoa Auvaa, a member of the Senior Men's Academy, has left the club with immediate effect. Following an incident this weekend, the club has determined that his conduct falls short of the standards expected of everyone who represents Saracens, both on and off the pitch. We take our responsibilities to our supporters, young people and partners seriously and we remain committed to upholding the standards of our conduct expected across the club. We will not be making any further comment on this matter.
According to BBC Sport, Saracens initially stood Auvaa down from all club duties while the investigation proceeded, before confirming his departure later that same day.
Hertfordshire Police released their own account of the incident:
Police are investigating an altercation which occurred between 2.15am and 2.20am on Sunday (October 11) in St Peter's Street, St Albans. It is alleged a man aged in his 20s was approached by another man who then punched him to the face. Enquiries are ongoing at this time.
The club has declined to provide specifics about what took place during the weekend altercation.
Saracens praised for swift action
Jamie George, the Saracens and England hooker, has commended how the club's leadership responded to the situation. Speaking ahead of Saturday's Investec Champions Cup fixture away to Connacht, George said:
The news of Totoa wasn't ideal at the beginning of the week but Brendan (Venter, head of culture and technical director) did a great job and our CEO Ed (Coetzee) did a great job in terms of standing up, addressing it and making sure that we moved on. We've got every faith that they're going to make all the right decisions and do all the right things so that we can focus on the rugby.
The termination represents a significant escalation from the club's response to Auvaa's involvement in the June nightclub incident that drew international attention.
The June nightclub incident and cricket connection
In June, Auvaa was present during an altercation at the Rex Rooms nightclub in the early hours of Monday June 8. The incident occurred when separate Saracens and England cricket social events converged at two pubs before moving to the nightclub's VIP area.
Stokes and Atkinson, both England cricketers, had breached their midnight curfew while celebrating a first Test victory over New Zealand at Lord's. The pair were subsequently dropped from the squad for the second Test against New Zealand.
According to ESPN, an England cricket security staff member required medical attention after being struck during the incident. An England and Wales Cricket Board disciplinary hearing determined that Stokes and Atkinson had breached their central contracts but cleared them of violent conduct, finding they had been victims of unprovoked attacks.
Following the investigation, Stokes and Atkinson received formal written warnings before returning for the third Test at Trent Bridge. Stokes subsequently resigned the England captaincy and announced his retirement from international cricket. Atkinson has remained in the England set-up and has since been awarded another central contract.
At the time of the June incident, Saracens described the events as regrettable while characterising themselves as supportive of Auvaa. The player escaped disciplinary action from the rugby club at that point.
According to The Independent, Auvaa had made his senior Saracens debut as a substitute in a Premiership Rugby Cup victory over Northampton the month prior to the nightclub incident.
Before joining Saracens, Auvaa had captained Samoa A and Samoa Under-20s, establishing himself as a promising prospect in the international rugby development pathway.
Second academy player also stood down
The termination of Auvaa's contract was not the only consequence of the weekend's events in St Albans. According to RugbyPass, Saracens also stood down a second unnamed senior academy player over a separate incident in St Albans, with the club indicating it was investigating that matter as well.
Police investigation ongoing
Hertfordshire Police have indicated that their enquiries into the alleged assault in St Albans remain active. No hearing date or further scheduled decision has been reported at this stage.
