Saracens Sack Totoa Auvaa After Incident in St Albans

Saracens have dismissed academy forward Totoa Auvaa with immediate effect following an incident in St Albans on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The English Premiership club confirmed the departure on Monday, October 12, after an internal investigation into the 21-year-old Samoan player's conduct, several months after he was involved in a London nightclub altercation with England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson.

According to statements reported by BBC Sport, The Guardian and Sky Sports, Saracens had previously suspended Auvaa from club duties while investigating the latest incident. The club has not disclosed what happened in St Albans, but said his conduct did not meet its expectations for players representing the organization.

Saracens announced the decision in a statement addressing the standards expected of everyone associated with the club.

"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."

The club also emphasized its responsibilities to its supporters, young people and partners.

"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."

Saracens declined to provide further details about the circumstances surrounding Auvaa's departure, according to Sky Sports and The Guardian.

"We will not be making any further comment on this matter."

Auvaa's dismissal follows a separate incident in June involving Stokes, then England's cricket captain, and fast bowler Atkinson. The three men were at the Rex Rooms nightclub in London during a night out that brought together separate social gatherings involving Saracens personnel and England cricketers.

A member of England's security staff was left bloodied and required medical attention after being struck by Auvaa, according to BBC Sport. Stokes and Atkinson were present during the incident but were subsequently cleared of violent conduct by an England and Wales Cricket Board disciplinary hearing.

The ECB found that both cricketers had breached their contractual obligations by breaking a midnight curfew while celebrating England's first Test victory over New Zealand at Lord's. They received formal written warnings and were made unavailable for the second Test, which England lost to New Zealand.

Auvaa was not sanctioned by Saracens following the June incident. The club had described those events as regrettable and expressed support for the player at the time, according to Sky Sports.

Stokes returned for the deciding third Test at Trent Bridge. During that match, he announced his retirement from international cricket at its conclusion and stepped down from the England captaincy. Atkinson remained part of the national team setup and subsequently received another central contract, Sky Sports reported.