I suspect that now this has failed we could be on the way to something bigger.
In its 2007 Staff Working Document accompanying the White Paper on Sport , The European Commission identified that “the idea of introducing salary caps in professional football” was one of its main “pending and undecided issues” relating to the competition provisions in the Treaty. They noted: “that no formal decisions have been taken so far by the community courts or the Commission.”

Although the statement was directed at professional football, the same principles will apply to both codes of Rugby. In the USA where salary caps have operated for some time there is talk of a challenge under the recently revised US anti-trust laws.

So any challenge to the notion of salary caps in football to the European court, such as that which has been made to FIFA’s Financial Fair Play Rules, could have unwanted consequences for those other sports which have salary caps as it could declare them illegal.

Inevitably this will take some time, but Union are seeking to minimise the threat by upping their cap, introduction of "home grown rule" and an exemption rule (in effect a Marquee player, but he must have been at the club for two season prior to coming off the cap - a rule I like!). League appear to be doing nothing.

The difficulty i see is what constitutes a "marquee" player
to one who isn't.

The rugby union rules allow one player off of salary cap if he has been at a club two years and earns more than £30k. That appears ok as it means that must be part of the set up and not a one year wonder

I have often thought that it would be fairer if all players you bring through your own Acadamy were exempt from the salary cap I know they would not be top signings but it means a Club would be rewarded for bringing on mainly local lads .It would also free up some more cash to pay for other players that may have been too expensive for them otherwise.

Excellent post.