Make in-demand Henry Pollock a millionaire, urges Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn has urged Northampton Saints to offer England star Henry Pollock a new seven-figure deal to keep him at Franklin’s Gardens beyond the end of the season.

Pollock, who opened talks with Saints about a new deal at the end of the last campaign as his current contract only has a year left to run, joined boxing promotor Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency in March and has seen his commercial value rocket over the last few months.

But because nothing was agreed by June 30th, it’s enabled rival clubs from the Gallagher PREM and Top 14 to come in and try to entice one of the games brightest talents away from the reigning PREM champions.

Hearn told The Daily Telegraph that Pollock who picks up £150,000 per year from the Rugby Football Union as an enhanced elite player squad member will see his value skyrocket in the next couple of years.

“He’s certainly a seven-figure player. I mean, for me, when I look at other players that are on those kind of numbers, Henry’s commercial value is on another stratosphere to them,” said Hearn.

“The last thing we want to do is come into the game and start making all these demands. I understand the business – I’ve owned football clubs, right? I know these clubs are not making fortunes, it is not like we’re leaving millions of pounds on the table.

“But I just think that the way rugby’s going and what Pollock is doing, his value over the next couple of years will skyrocket, and I think the value of rugby will. I think the revenue coming into the game will as well.

“Within two or three years, the game could look completely different and we’re in a contract where Pollock should be getting three, four times what he’s on now.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily going to be a long-term deal. But it needs to be enough of a deal where Northampton can commercially hang a hat on and say Pollock’s our guy.

“We just want to have sensible conversations with those people. Laying our cards on the table, Henry wants to stay at Northampton, and we have had offers from other clubs.

“What he is making in his annual deal I would pay a prospect [boxer] that you have never heard of the same money to fight in a 10-round fight that he can’t lose for one night.

“A fighter can earn a million quid in one night and you have never heard of him. I said to Henry: ‘You are the biggest star in the game, and I can’t believe how little money you are earning.’

“But at the same time, boxing is a world where 99 per cent of them just want to know how much money they are making. Whereas Henry is saying that he loves Northampton and wants to win championships.”