Exeter Chiefs and AFC Bournemouth Share Expertise After Black Knight Takeover
Exeter Chiefs have begun sharing departmental knowledge with Premier League club AFC Bournemouth following the Black Knight group's takeover, boss Rob Baxter has revealed. The two clubs, now under common ownership, are linking strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and sports psychology teams, with a joint coaching day planned.
- Takeover: Black Knight group completed its takeover of Exeter Chiefs at the end of June, becoming the first US-based group to control an English Premiership rugby side.
- Deal value: The takeover was worth about £25m and settled a number of Exeter's outstanding debts.
- Shared departments: Strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and sports psychology heads have linked up with Bournemouth counterparts.
- Coaching link-up: Baxter hopes to take his backroom team to Bournemouth for a day to meet Marco Rose's staff.
- Financial impact: Baxter says the club is no longer living hand-to-mouth and has invested in new training and medical equipment.
- What's next: Baxter expects Black Knight to increase its influence over the season, but says there has been no huge interference so far.
What was said
"The plan will be for us all to get down to Bournemouth for a day or something as a group if we can line it up."
"I think that interaction will improve and move forward over a period of time."
"As it is, this has all happened just as we both got into the start of the season, so I think those are things that will happen a longer-term basis than right now."
"At the moment we're both fighting to get games of football and games of rugby won and time is a little bit precious at the moment."
"The most important thing that's changed is that we're not kind of living hand-to-mouth as we kind of were for quite a long period."
"What I mean by that is continually looking to see where cash flow would be going in two or three months' time and how we were going to keep things on a stable financial footing."
"So that's clearly a way better position for us to be working from right from the start."
"But outside of that, there's not been huge interference from Black Knight at this stage."
"I'm assuming that over a period of time they will start to look to have more influence - whether that's commercially or the rugby department or the sports department - but I think it's early days for them and they're still just having a watching brief at the minute."
"The input that probably people are going to think about - will things change [on a] match day and commercially or whatever - I think those things will start to happen over the course of the season."
Baxter's comments paint a picture of a takeover that has so far delivered stability rather than revolution. The immediate practical benefit is financial: the £25m deal cleared debts that had left Exeter budgeting month to month. The second benefit is structural, with backroom staff in three key departments already exchanging methods with their Bournemouth counterparts. What has not yet happened is any deeper intervention from Black Knight, which Baxter describes as a watching brief. That could change as the season progresses, particularly on the commercial side.
Why the Bournemouth link-up matters more than the money
The headline number is £25m, but the more interesting detail is the departmental link-up. Strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and sports psychology are precisely the areas where a Premier League football club operates at a different financial and staffing level to a Premiership rugby side. Bournemouth can offer sports science infrastructure that Exeter could not previously afford to build, while Exeter can offer rugby-specific loading and collision data. The exchange is not charity; it is Black Knight extracting value from two assets in its portfolio.
The coaching day Baxter wants with Marco Rose and his staff is the next step. Cross-sport coaching exchanges are rare because the calendars do not align, and Baxter acknowledges that both clubs are in-season. There is also a question of how much a football manager's methods translate to rugby. Rose's pressing structures have little direct rugby application, but talent development, player communication and squad rotation are transferable. Baxter is realistic about the timeline, calling it a longer-term project rather than an immediate fix.
The financial angle is what Exeter supporters will feel first. Baxter's phrase about no longer living hand-to-mouth is the clearest indication yet that the takeover has changed day-to-day operations. The club has already put money into new training and medical equipment within three months. That is tangible progress, even if Black Knight has kept a low profile. Baxter expects that to change, noting influence could grow commercially or in the rugby and sports departments over the course of the season.
Talking points
- Should Exeter fans be comfortable with Black Knight's low-profile start, or does the lack of obvious changes simply delay the inevitable reshuffle?
- Cross-sport knowledge sharing sounds impressive, but how much of a Premier League football club's sports science actually translates to rugby's physical demands?
- Baxter says there has been no huge interference. Is that a sign of a patient owner or simply an owner still deciding what it wants?
- The £25m deal settled debts, but will Exeter see the kind of transfer-level investment rugby now requires to compete with the biggest spenders?
What happens next
Exeter and Bournemouth will attempt to arrange a joint coaching day at the Vitality Stadium, though no date has been set. In the meantime, the departmental exchanges in strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and sports psychology are already under way. Baxter expects Black Knight's influence to grow over the season, particularly on the commercial side, and supporters will judge the new owners on whether that translates into further investment in the squad and facilities.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Exeter Chiefs now?
Exeter Chiefs were taken over by the Black Knight group at the end of June, becoming the first US-based group to take control of an English Prem rugby side.
How much was the Exeter Chiefs takeover worth?
The deal was worth about £25m and settled a number of the club's outstanding debts.
Are Exeter Chiefs and Bournemouth sharing coaches?
Their heads of strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and sports psychology have linked up, and Rob Baxter hopes to arrange a joint coaching day with Marco Rose's staff.
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