'I’d love that': Mark McCall suggests PREM improvements ahead of exit

Saracens boss Mark McCall believes the Gallagher PREM would function better with a minimum of 12 teams and has called for the restoration of league games during international windows.

McCall will step down at the end of the season after 15 trophy-laden years as director of rugby, and his reign could conclude as early as Saturday when Saracens face Exeter at Sandy Park in a shootout for the final available play-off place.

PREM Rugby is planning to grow the competition from 10 to 12 teams by the 2029-30 campaign as part of move to becoming an ‘expansion’ league, with the long-term aspiration of increasing to as many as 20 sides.

McCall, the most successful coach in PREM history after masterminding six domestic titles and three European crowns, insists there should be fewer weekends without top-flight action.

“For me, there are not enough teams,” McCall said. “There are too many gaps and too much time between games.

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6 Jun 26

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“I know the calendar’s busy, but I would rather keep playing in international windows as often as necessary. There should be 12 teams minimum because we need more games.

“We went from the end of January when we played Newcastle at the StoneX to the middle of April before we played another league game at home. That’s crazy. We want to get fans used to coming.

“There’s also room for a different competition. If there was a weekly under-21 or under-23 competition, that would be brilliant.

“We want our players to play for Saracens with the people they’re going to play with as time goes on rather than having to be farmed out to lower league clubs. So I’d love that as well.”

McCall is being succeeded for the 2026-27 season by the returning Brendan Venter, the South Africa from whom he took over in 2011 having served as his assistant.

Venter has been at Saracens’ training ground this week with McCall’s move to technical advisor – he will also join the board of directors – among the topics of conversation.

The former Ireland centre expects to be working on a part-time basis for one or two days a week, providing advice and mentorship.

Even with Saracens riding a five-match winning run that has resurrected their title quest and the emergence of an exciting crop of young backs led by teenage sensation Noah Caluori, McCall is satisfied he has got the timing of his exit right.

“I knew when my time was up,” he said. “There’s a certain energy that you need to do this job and at times I’ve realised that. The team need the new energy they’re going to get from Brendan.

“Of course I’ll miss it. It’s been a massive part of my life. It’s been 17 years. We’ve got a room where all the coaches and the analysts sit and chew the fat and talk rubbish to each other, and I’m going to miss that room a lot.

“I love being there and I trust the people that are in there. They are tremendously loyal, but we have a lot of fun in there as well.”