Hearn: Pollock rejected higher offers to remain at Northampton Saints
Henry Pollock has signed an extension with Northampton Saints that runs to summer 2028 and is worth more than £400,000 a year, and Eddie Hearn said on 22 September 2026 that the 21-year-old turned down rival offers worth substantially more to stay at his boyhood club.
Hearn, whose Matchroom promotional business centres on boxing, darts and snooker, has acted as Pollock's adviser since March and told reporters that the flanker declined offers from domestic Prem clubs and international suitors. He said Pollock was fully aware of the financial proposals on the table and “left a lot of money on the table to stay with Northampton. But it wasn't even a tough decision for him.” Hearn added some approaches were “well in excess of seven figures.”
Hearn confirmed the headline basic figure of Pollock's new contract does not include a signing bonus and additional off-pitch payments and said endorsement income has taken the forward’s total annual earnings above £1m. “Everybody from major financial institutions to household brands to performance brands to nutritional brands to wellness brands… I mean, there isn't really a sector that hasn't hasn't approached us about Henry Pollock,” Hearn said. He acknowledged the deal “didn't quite get to the number” that had been targeted and recalled valuing Pollock at the £1m mark in an interview with the Daily Telegraph in August.
Pollock has expressed interest in pursuing Great Britain sevens selection for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and Hearn said the option has been raised with Saints while stressing club commitments. “Our principal obligation is to perform for Northampton and to help them win championships,” he said, adding: “Part of the arrangement allows him to look at those kind of opportunities, but only with a sensible conversation with the club.” The new contract does not provide the dedicated sevens training time taken by France captain Antoine Dupont before Paris 2024, the article noted.
Hearn pointed to recent public appearances by Pollock, including being ringside at a sold-out Croke Park in Dublin for Katie Taylor's farewell fight earlier this month, as evidence of his profile off the field. He warned that the Premiership’s £6.4m salary cap limits players’ ability to maximise on-pitch earnings and outlined the league’s marquee-player exemption and the two-year qualifying rule for players who move between top-tier clubs. “Let the players earn,” Hearn said, adding: “All they hear about is salary caps or one star player per team - marquee names or whatever you want to call it. You don't want that.” He also said: “You could have lost Pollock and it would have been a disaster for English rugby.”
The piece noted the salary cap is intended to keep the Prem sustainable and competitive and that players can augment club pay with a central England contract worth about £150,000 a year or with one-off Test match fees. It referenced England internationals who have moved to France’s Top 14 — naming Jack Willis, Kyle Sinckler and Sam Simmonds — and gave the Top 14 cap as 11m euros (£9.4m). Hearn said Matchroom currently represents only two rugby players, including Bath and Scotland fly-half Finn Russell, and expressed ambition to deepen involvement in the sport.
Hearn outlined plans to pursue rugby opportunities beyond player representation and said he is due to meet Premiership Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor in Monaco in the coming weeks to discuss ideas. Pollock’s contract, Hearn added, allows the player to consider sevens opportunities provided there is sensible dialogue with Northampton.