Exeter Chiefs chief executive Tony Rowe is hoping to secure a new investor this year after the club posted an £10.3m loss. The loss came after Exeter finished a club-worst ninth in the Premiership and had to write off a £6.2m loan linked to the Sandy Park hotel.
Without the loan, pre-tax losses were just over £3m, with revenue down and wages up. Poor results on the field also caused a drop in crowd numbers, though conference income at Sandy Park remained steady.
Rowe, who has run the club since 1998 and helped Exeter rise to domestic and European success, said the club now needs new investment to grow further. He is optimistic that a proposed franchise model for English rugby will attract investors and hopes to make a decision in the first half of the year.
