Overview
- Exeter have agreed in principle to sell control to an unnamed American investor, with about 700 members due to vote at an extraordinary meeting on 7 May.
- Chairman Tony Rowe said he can no longer bankroll the club and confirmed only that the bidder is American.
- Rowe said the bidder wants certainty on Premiership ring-fencing, a no-relegation model that lowers risk and helps protect income.
- Exeter posted a £10.3m loss in their latest accounts after finishing ninth last season and exiting the Champions Cup at the pool stage.
- If approved, the deal would extend a wider shift toward external funding in English rugby, following Red Bull’s takeover of Newcastle and Sir James Dyson’s 50% stake in Bath, as league advisers also explore franchising and expansion.