Eddie Hearn has taken a public stand in defence of England flanker Henry Pollock, arguing that the young athlete possesses the kind of star power needed to revive the fortunes of rugby union. Hearn insists that Pollock, along with his fellow internationals, should be compensated in a manner that reflects the commercial value they bring to the sport.
Pollock has dominated recent headlines after his representative, Hearn, declared that the 21‑year‑old deserves a contract worth one million pounds per year as negotiations continue with his current club, Northampton Saints. At present, Pollock’s existing agreement pays him roughly £150,000 annually, and an additional £150,000 is provided by the Rugby Football Union because he is classified as an enhanced elite England player. This arrangement is set to expire at the end of the upcoming season. While Hearn made it clear that Pollock has no intention of leaving Northampton, he used the player’s untapped seven‑figure earning potential as a case study for a broader problem: English rugby is failing to capture the full financial upside of its top talent.
"Pollock is earning the same amount as a relatively unknown boxer fighting for a British title on a single night," Hearn told Sky Sports News. "He plays more than thirty matches a year, endures a grueling physical regimen week after week, and every opposition side is actively trying to shut him down." Hearn described Pollock as "the absolute flagship superstar of English rugby" and a "red‑hot superstar of the sport," emphasizing that the young flanker is already a household name among rugby fans. He added that youngsters are emulating Pollock’s style in grassroots clubs, hoping to follow in his footsteps, while season‑ticket holders are eager to see him on the pitch.
"Some love him, some hate him, but everyone is talking about him," Hearn said. "He is only 21, he is the future of the game, and he has a unique chance to transform rugby in this country and make it popular again." According to Hearn, the current salary‑cap structure in the Premiership is a major obstacle to achieving that transformation. The cap, set at £6.4 million, allows each club to designate only one marquee player whose salary is exempt from the limit.
Hearn argued that this restriction not only hampers clubs like Northampton Saints from meeting his £1 million‑a‑year demand for Pollock, but also stifles the overall growth of the sport. "I hate the idea of a single marquee player," he said. "The structure is completely wrong. I will be meeting with Premiership Rugby officials to explain why this policy is disastrous." Hearn’s broader message is that young players should be allowed to maximise their earnings, and that limiting financial incentives will ultimately hurt the game’s appeal to owners, sponsors, and broadcasters.
He warned that capping the number of high‑profile athletes a club can sign discourages investment and reduces the sport’s ability to attract big‑money owners who want to build winning, commercially viable teams. "If owners are restricted in what they can do, what they can build, and which superstars they can bring in, the league will never become attractive to them," Hearn explained. "We need to forget the one‑star‑player rule and allow entire squads of stars.
That will bring money into rugby, grow fan bases, and create more superstars." The promoter believes that a more generous compensation model will have a trickle‑down effect, benefiting not only elite players but also grassroots participants. More revenue would enable clubs to invest in youth development, improve facilities, and increase the visibility of the sport on television and streaming platforms.
In Hearn’s view, this would generate higher viewership numbers, attract larger sponsorship deals, and ultimately make rugby a hotter, more lucrative product for everyone involved. "More money in the sport means more superstars, bigger names, and bigger audiences," he said.
"When that happens, the sport becomes hot again." In summary, Eddie Hearn is using Henry Pollock’s situation as a rallying point to call for a fundamental rethink of the Premiership’s salary‑cap policy. He argues that the current limit, which permits only a single marquee player per club, is outdated and counter‑productive. By advocating for a £1 million annual salary for Pollock, Hearn hopes to set a precedent that will encourage clubs to invest more heavily in their top talent, thereby raising the profile and financial health of English rugby at all levels.