What must Prem Rugby CEO learn from his trip to US? Sweat the asset

It speaks to Prem Rugby’s ambition that its chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor is jetting off to the United States to drum up investment and sponsorship for the English game, as reported by City AM earlier this week. It suggests the league – unlike many other top-flight union competitions – is actively seeking to go beyond its traditional market in order to attract financial support. Being backed by a major American insurance firm in Gallagher is one thing, but finding a US bank partner and further private investment into the league’s 10 teams would be a tonic for a sport still in need of as much help as it can get. But I hope that Massie-Taylor, who was previously commercial chief at the Rugby Football Union, uses his trip to see just how US sports are able to commercialise, develop and sweat their assets, because that will be the difference between Prem Rugby truly turning a corner and repeating past mistakes. Over 10 years ago the NFL launched an investment fund called 32