Premier League owners are about to take over PREM rugby club with a famous Hollywood star.
English rugby seems to be having a real boost right now, thanks to more money being put into the Premiership over the past year.
Back in March, Bath Rugby announced that billionaire Sir James Dyson bought half of the group that includes Bath Rugby, their stadium company Arena 1865, and the Farleigh training facilities.
Northampton Saints also got a big cash boost from financier Steve Zander. It wasn’t a full takeover but showed a fresh wave of hope for the top level of English rugby.
Not long ago, Red Bull took over Newcastle, renaming them Newcastle Red Bulls. This has led to a big makeover and lots of new spending as they prepare for next season.
Now, Exeter Chiefs might be next to get new owners. Black Knight Football Club, who already own Premier League soccer team AFC Bournemouth, want to expand into rugby. The takeover is waiting on a vote from Exeter’s members at a special meeting in May, according to the Telegraph.
Black Knight owns several well-known clubs, including Auckland FC, Scotland’s Hibernian, and France’s FC Lorient. The group is led by American businessman Bill Foley and includes Oscar-winning actor Michael B. Jordan.
This possible deal comes just as the Premiership is ending relegation and moving to a franchise system starting next season.
This will be a new chapter for Exeter, who have been backed financially by Tony Rowe since their promotion to the top flight in 2010. During that time, they’ve won the Premiership in 2017 and 2020, and the Champions Cup in 2020.
In a recent chat with the Guardian, Rowe talked about future investment: “I’ve been running a business for the last 30 years with a shareholder who had no money. What I’m looking forward to is an investor who has some money. That’ll make a huge difference for us.
“I think it will put us in a great spot to take advantage of what’s ahead. Like it or not, professional sport is all about money. We need money to survive.”