Hearn Demands £1m for Pollock, Slams Salary Cap
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- Eddie Hearn demanded a £1m-a-year contract for client Henry Pollock, arguing the 21-year-old England and Lions flanker's profile could "awaken the sleeping giant" of English rugby.
- Pollock currently earns £150,000 from Northampton Saints plus another £150,000 from the RFU as an enhanced elite England player, with his Saints deal expiring next summer.
- Hearn branded PREM Rugby's £6.4m salary cap 'terrible,' called the single-marquee-player exemption rule 'completely wrong,' and said he will raise his concerns directly with the league.
- Hearn likened Pollock's current pay to 'a young man fighting for the British title in boxing that you've never heard of,' arguing rugby undervalues its top talent despite the physical toll and 30-plus-game schedule.
- Hearn argued that removing player earning caps would attract more club owners, drive bigger broadcast deals, and filter more money down to grassroots rugby.
- Pollock has no intention of leaving Northampton despite the standoff, Hearn stressed, framing the dispute as a structural fight for the sport rather than a transfer saga.
Why it matters: Hearn is publicly pressuring PREM Rugby to overhaul its £6.4m cap and one-marquee-player rule, using Pollock as the test case. If the league budges, England's top stars could command seven-figure salaries, raising costs for clubs like Northampton and reshaping the balance between investor appeal and competitive parity in English rugby.
