Exeter Chiefs tap Bournemouth know-how after takeover
Exeter Chiefs are swapping ideas with AFC Bournemouth as the rugby club settles into life under American ownership.
Director of rugby Rob Baxter said Chiefs staff have been sharing knowledge with their football counterparts since the Black Knight group completed its takeover at the end of June, BBC reported on 18 September. Black Knight also owns Bournemouth, the Premier League football club.
The link-up has been practical, not ceremonial. Exeter’s heads of strength and conditioning — fitness and power work — physiotherapy — injury treatment and rehabilitation — and sports psychology — mental preparation — have all spoken to their equivalents at Bournemouth.
It is an unusual cross-code exchange. Rugby union and football demand very different things from players, with union built around the contest for the ball at rucks, scrums and lineouts. The shared ground is athlete care. Both sports need players fit, available and clear-headed across a long season.
The takeover made Exeter the first club in England’s Premiership — the top flight of English club rugby union — to be controlled by a US-based group. The deal was worth about £25m and ended the club’s time as a members-owned organisation, where supporters and members held the say.
Baxter said the new owners have brought financial stability to Sandy Park, Exeter’s home ground in Devon. The takeover settled a number of outstanding debts, and the club has since invested in new training and medical equipment during its first three months under Black Knight.
Baxter knows the place better than anyone. He has led Exeter since 2009, taking the Chiefs from the second tier to English and European champions. He previewed the new 2026/27 campaign ahead of a pre-season friendly against Scarlets earlier this month.
For supporters, this means change off the field before change on it. Better kit in the gym and new thinking from football will not win a scrum on its own. But after some tight financial years across English rugby, a stable base and a phone line to a Premier League medical room is a solid start.
