Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall has called for the Gallagher Premiership to feature a minimum of 12 teams and for league matches to be played during international windows. McCall, who will depart at the end of the season after 15 trophy-laden years, believes the competition would benefit from fewer gaps in the calendar.
McCall's vision for the Premiership
Speaking ahead of a crucial play-off decider against Exeter, McCall emphasised the need for more matches. 'For me, there are not enough teams. There are too many gaps and too much time between games. I would rather keep playing in international windows as often as necessary. There should be 12 teams minimum because we need more games.'
Premiership Rugby is planning to expand from 10 to 12 teams by the 2029-30 season, with long-term aspirations of reaching 20 sides. McCall, the most successful coach in Premiership history with six domestic titles and three European crowns, highlighted the impact of the current schedule on fan engagement.
'We went from the end of January when we played Newcastle at the StoneX to the middle of April before we played another league game at home. That’s crazy. We want to get fans used to coming,' he added.
Proposals for a development competition
McCall also suggested introducing a weekly under-21 or under-23 competition to aid player development. 'We want our players to play for Saracens with the people they’re going to play with as time goes on rather than having to be farmed out to lower league clubs. So I’d love that as well.'
Transition to technical advisor
McCall will be succeeded by Brendan Venter, the South African from whom he took over in 2011. Venter, who has been at Saracens' training ground this week, will take over for the 2026-27 season. McCall will move to a part-time technical advisor role, working one or two days a week, and will also join the board of directors.
Despite Saracens' recent resurgence, including a five-match winning run and the emergence of young talents like Noah Caluori, McCall is confident in his decision to step down. 'I knew when my time was up. There’s a certain energy that you need to do this job and at times I’ve realised that. The team need the new energy they’re going to get from Brendan.'
Reflecting on his tenure, McCall said, 'Of course I’ll miss it. It’s been a massive part of my life. It’s been 17 years. We’ve got a room where all the coaches and the analysts sit and chew the fat and talk rubbish to each other, and I’m going to miss that room a lot.'
