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Henry Pollock and Finn Russell with Matchroom's Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith(Image: Matchroom)
English rugby bosses want Eddie Hearn to become more involved in the sport, calling the boxing promoter a "force for good".
England back-row Henry Pollock and Scotland fly-half Finn Russell both signed with Hearn's agency Matchroom earlier this year, with Pollock recently featuring on the cover of Men's Health and Tatler magazines as part of Hearn's efforts to grow his profile. Hearn has previously spoken of his desire to "turbo-charge" the profile of rugby and its players.
The renowned promoter has now been tipped to have a greater influence on the game.
Prem Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor recently met with Hearn, saying that he expects his involvement in rugby to grow in the near future.
“I met Eddie,” said Massie-Taylor. “We [the Prem] were out in Monaco for a few things, actually, but one of them was that our international broadcasters were all there as part of the Sportel Conference, and CVC were doing something else.
"So, we took the liberty to go and see him. First of all, he’s enjoyed his initial chapter within rugby.
"He sees a load of positives with the sport. The athletes; he thinks they’re incredibly marketable, and he sees that rugby is on a great trajectory, and he’s very pro the Prem.
“I think his ambition goes beyond just representing top athletes; although, I’d expect him to represent some more of the top stars in the Prem, and he’ll do a good job for them.
"So, you start to move into other options that you could consider; whether that’s around events, big games, or something specifically commercial around the players across the league.
"We’ve got our own Prem media house now, which is like a rocket ship in terms of the content it’s producing and the value for sponsors; whether there’s a partnership around that.
“I don’t think he’s here to buy a rugby club, but he could definitely help introduce people to it and partner with that. So, there are a few different options we’re talking through.
"But, he doesn’t want to be a disruptor. He wants to work with the league, but he definitely wants to agitate for more growth.
"I think he sees a lot of potential. So I think he’s a really positive person to have in the environment, and it’s encouraging that he sees such positive signs.
"I’d like to see [Matchroom] more involved. I think they’ll be a force for good.”