Prem Rugby chief plans US investor push as club investment grows

Prem Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor plans to visit the United States in October to make the case for investment in English club rugby, BBC Sport reported on Thursday. The trip follows a London summit for prospective investors in June and a series of ownership deals.

Massie-Taylor told the BBC that investor interest had grown significantly over the past year, particularly in the past six months. The broadcaster reported that Gloucester and Leicester were among clubs holding investment discussions. Those talks remain distinct from completed transactions; the report did not announce deals for either club.

One completed transaction is Black Knight Rugby's purchase of Exeter Rugby Group. Exeter confirmed on June 30 that the buyer, a new subsidiary of Cannae Holdings, had acquired all the group's shares after members approved the sale. The club retained Tony Rowe as chief executive under the new ownership.

Exeter said Rowe would sit on a three-person executive board alongside Cannae vice-chairman William P Foley II and chief executive Ryan Caswell. The club's announcement described the deal as ending Rowe's 25 years of financial support. Rowe said the financial demands had become too great for him and his family.

In that announcement, Massie-Taylor identified Black Knight as the competition's first American club investors. Cannae already had investments in football, including Bournemouth, Lorient and Moreirense. Foley said the group intended to apply its experience of developing sports and entertainment businesses to Exeter.

Bath has also changed its ownership structure. In a separate club announcement, Bath confirmed that Sir James Dyson had acquired a 50% stake in the group encompassing the rugby club, stadium-development company Arena 1865 and the Farleigh training facilities, joining Bruce Craig as an equal partner.

BBC Sport's reporting also identified financial oversight and multi-season agreements with the Rugby Football Union and TNT Sports as elements of the league's more stable structure. However, it noted that clubs still carry debts and depend on owners' support. The planned US visit comes with further investment being sought, rather than financial security assured.