Henry Pollock: England flanker has superstar quality to wake sleeping giant of rugby union so pay him, says Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn believes Henry Pollock has the superstar status to awaken the sleeping giant that is rugby union, but insists the England and Lions flanker, and his peers, must be rewarded in line with their commercial value.

Pollock has dominated the headlines after his agent Hearn claimed the 21-year-old was deserving of a £1m-a-year contract amid ongoing negotiations with his club Northampton Saints.

Pollock earns a reported £150,000 a year from his current deal, which expires next summer, plus an additional £150,000 annually from the Rugby Football Union given his status as an enhanced elite England player.

Hearn stressed Pollock had no intention of leaving Northampton but highlighted how his seven-figure earning potential remaining unrealised in English rugby was indicative of the sport not tapping into its true potential and scale.