Richard Cockerill has spoken out in support of the salary cap © Getty Images

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Leicester rugby director Richard Cockerill believes the Aviva Premiership salary cap as "a good thing" following a report that Saracens and Bath are being investigated for alleged breaches of it.

Premiership Rugby has refused to comment on a report in Saturday's Daily Mail that Saracens and Bath are under scrutiny. The newspaper claims an inquiry is under way after a 'whistleblower' made complaints to salary cap auditors.

Recommended sanctions for such offences are points deductions and fines, although the extent of any alleged breaches is not apparent.

Speaking after Tigers' 23-19 league defeat to Northampton, Cockerill said: "The cap is there for a reason. It is a good thing because it keeps the league competitive. Ultimately, if you have one or two clubs with owners that want to spend limitless amounts of money, it's okay.

"But sides like ourselves, Gloucester and Saints [Northampton], who pay our own bills and we have a robust financial structure in that we spend what we can afford to spend, that's a good model to be part of. There is no point having two or three sides who can spend £15million, and the rest can spend £5 or £6 million, because that is what makes the league uneven.

"We can only afford to spend what we've got. What we create, we spend. We are not in debt, and that is exactly how we want to stay."

In response to the newspaper report, a Premiership Rugby spokesman told Press Association Sport: "Premiership Rugby cannot comment on whether investigation proceedings are taking place or not. Any such investigation would be done under the salary capping regulations 2013-14.

"Regulation 15 of those regulations provides that any such proceedings are confidential."