Bournemouth's owners to takeover rugby side Exeter Chiefs - sources

Bournemouth's owners Black Knight Football Club are set to branch out into rugby union with a takeover of Gallagher Prem side Exeter Chiefs, sources have told ESPN.

The move is pending a vote by Exeter's members at an extraordinary general meeting in May.

Black Knight's portfolio already includes Bournemouth -- who they acquired in 2022 -- and Auckland FC, alongside stakes in Scotland's Hibernian and France's FC Lorient.

Black Knight Football Club's consortium includes Oscar-winning actor Michael B. Jordan and is headed by American businessman Bill Foley.

The proposed deal follows a swathe of fresh investment in the English domestic game, which coincided with the end of relegation and the establishment of a franchise-based system.

British entrepreneur Sir James Dyson has invested in Bath, while Red Bull took over Newcastle earlier in the season. Northampton have also welcomed fresh investment and other clubs are set to follow.

The deal would mark a fresh new era for Exeter, who have been bankrolled by Tony Rowe. They've experienced huge success under him with the team promoted to the top flight in 2010 -- from there they won the Prem title in 2017 and 2020, and the Champions Cup in 2020. But Rowe had previously admitted it is the right time for outside investment.

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"I've effectively run a business for the last 30-odd years for a shareholder who's got no money," Rowe told The Guardian.

"What I'm looking forward to is an investor who's got some money. That'll be a massive difference for me.

"I think it will put us in a really good place to take advantage of the future. Whether you like it or not professional sport is all about money. We need money to survive."

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