Rowe: My Chiefs could be last club to achieve the dream

EXETER chairman Tony Rowe believes his side could be the last fairytale story in English rugby, as the sport prepares for a £200million cash injection.

The Chiefs have risen from the amateur leagues to the top of the Premiership but Rowe believes the leap is increasingly difficult. ‘Money and romance don’t always go hand in hand,’ Rowe told the Mail on Sunday.

‘We may be the last ones to ever do what we have done. We were spending £1.5million and we had to jump up to £3million when we were promoted. Now the gap is about £600,000 to £7million. The Championship clubs need to catch up funding wise. Can I see that happening? No.

‘The Championship clubs need to approach it differently. At Exeter we didn’t just put a winning team on the pitch, we invested £18million and had a suitable stadium. It’s pointless them coming into the Premiership if they haven’t got the facilities or financial ability.’

Rowe claims CVC’s funding could be the start of a rugby ‘revolution’. Exeter are the league’s only

profitable team with an annual income of about £20m, which will be boosted by the building of an on-site hotel.

Rowe added: ‘We want to enhance the matchday experience much like the NFL. I would hope our revenues will quadruple at least within five to 10 years.’