Pollock joins Haaland on YouTube after bumper new Saints deal
Henry Pollock is following the Erling Haaland blueprint for stardom by joining YouTube having signed a bumper new contract at Northampton Saints.
The 21-year-old flanker joined Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency earlier this year and has been at the centre of a contract war with his club after the boxing promoter said his recent recruit deserved £1m per season.
The £400,000-a-year deal is thought to be a two-season extension to his existing deal, which was due to expire at the end of the Prem Rugby campaign which starts on Friday. It’s understood the final year of his current agreement was renegotiated as part of the deal.
But the England international and British and Irish Lion tourist is helping to add to the Matchroom inventory by starting a YouTube channel, following football superstar Haaland’s recent exploits on the video-sharing platform.
Pollock on the rise
Haaland’s first video was published 10 months ago and has amassed 14m views, while his channel has amassed 4.5m subscribers. Pollock’s first video surfaced on Tuesday and he quickly gained 1,500 subscribers.
His first episode, titled “I’m staying at Northampton Saints”, is a collaboration between his account, his club and Prem Rugby, and features the forward making scrambled eggs, a trip to Starbucks, signing his new contract and touring Northampton’s Franklin’s Gardens stadium. His second video is expected to be released on Friday.
“I am very, very happy to sign here,” Pollock said. “I have been here my whole career so it made sense for me to stay on the journey with such a young group of players, who are so ambitious.”
On the speculation created by Matchroom, Pollock said: “I don’t create it, my team do. It is one of those things that you have to take in your stride, but I am happy it is all done and I can focus on the rugby.”