Tony Rowe proposes 14-team cross-border Premiership as Exeter Chiefs aim for resurgence

Tony Rowe, the long-serving chief executive of Exeter Chiefs, has renewed calls to expand the English Premiership to 14 teams and introduce a franchised, cross-border model to boost revenue and protect clubs amid ongoing financial strain.

Speaking at Sandy Park, Rowe said the current 10-club structure does not generate sufficient matchday and broadcast income for most clubs and argued that expansion — with no automatic relegation in the short term — would create more fixtures, sponsorship opportunities and a clearer commercial pathway for the sport.

Rowe pointed to recent collapses in the professional game — including Worcester, London Irish and Wasps — and recalled the Premiership’s contraction from 12 clubs to 10 in the wake of those failures. "The problem is that 10 clubs doesn’t provide enough revenue for us," he said, estimating that a Premiership matchday at Exeter can net "something like £350,000 to £400,000 per game," meaning a couple of extra fixtures could materially affect club finances. He also stressed the need for stronger broadcast deals once the current contract with TNT Sports, which runs until 2031, is renegotiated.

Rowe argued expansion could include the remaining Welsh clubs and suggested eventual growth to 16 clubs split into two regional conferences. He said franchising would give clubs stability and make sponsorship more attractive, noting that some deals now include clauses allowing sponsors to withdraw if a club is relegated. "If we’re looking at franchising, why should we have a limit on the number of clubs?" he asked.

The Exeter chief admitted mistakes in the club’s recent on-field performance and acknowledged a role in last season’s struggles, when the Chiefs lost their first seven Premiership games and two coaches were suspended. Rowe reinstated Rob Baxter to a hands-on director-of-rugby role after Baxter had stepped back from day-to-day coaching.

"I have to take some of the blame for that," Rowe said, reflecting on a period when he reduced Baxter’s coaching responsibilities. He described the decision as akin to "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic," and welcomed Baxter’s return as a corrective measure ahead of the new season.

Rowe also outlined how the club has restructured its talent pipeline following a generation of homegrown players that produced internationals such as Jack Nowell, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Henry Slade. He described a comprehensive academy network across Devon and Cornwall that costs the club more than £1 million a year and said recent cohorts have produced international-level prospects, including Paul Brown-Bampoe and members of England’s Under-20 squad.

To complement that youth influx, Exeter has recruited experienced internationals. Wallaby centre Len Ikitau and lock Tom Hooper are due to join the club in the coming weeks, signings Rowe believes will add leadership and physicality to a young squad. "We’ve got more talent than we had back in 2014," he said, but added that senior signings were necessary to raise standards and compete domestically and in European contests.

Financially, Rowe said the club remains cautious but optimistic. He acknowledged the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic — which he said left Exeter "over £20 million" down and exposed the club’s fragile margins — but noted the club returned to profit in the last season. Rowe said he plans to continue investing in the club until it is self-sustaining and celebrated progress made in recent months.

Rowe also voiced scepticism about R360, the proposed breakaway global franchise competition co-founded by former England player Mike Tindall and others, which has attracted attention for its potential to offer large short-term salaries to marquee players. Rowe described the venture as "a circus" and questioned its commercial viability and the long-term risk to players who might sign for substantial sums now but face uncertainty if the venture fails.

"I’m hoping it doesn’t because it will really screw up rugby," he said. Rowe noted that recruiting the sport’s top players into a separate roadshow-style competition would require sizeable annual guarantees and warned that a collapse would leave players and clubs exposed. He contrasted that model with his preferred solution of expanding and franchising the domestic game to stabilise incomes.

Rowe’s remarks come as Premiership clubs and governing bodies navigate a complex landscape of rising costs for fans, wage pressures and evolving broadcast markets. He pointed to broader economic pressures on supporters — higher energy bills, mortgage rates and taxes — and said clubs must be realistic about pricing and the market for premium live sport.

Despite the challenges, Rowe struck an upbeat tone about Exeter’s prospects. He said the club is "almost" at the salary cap and has an ambition to be among the eight clubs selected for the proposed global club competition from 2028. "One day I’ll step back, but not until the club is self-sustainable," he added. "We’re back. Look out!"

The Premiership and the Rugby Football Union have yet to endorse a single approach to expansion or franchising, and any change to league structure would require agreement among clubs, broadcasters and national unions. Rowe’s proposals add to an ongoing debate about the future shape of professional rugby in England and across the British Isles, balancing competitive integrity, financial viability and player welfare as the sport seeks a sustainable path forward.