McCall calls for 12-team Premiership and end to international window breaks before Saracens exit

Mark McCall, who steps down as Saracens director of rugby at the end of this season, has called on Premiership Rugby to expand the competition to a minimum of 12 teams and restore league fixtures during international windows, arguing that the current format leaves the top flight with too many costly breaks.

“For me, there are not enough teams,” McCall said. “There are too many gaps and too much time between games. I know the calendar’s busy, but I would rather keep playing in international windows as often as necessary. There should be 12 teams minimum because we need more games.”

McCall pointed to a specific stretch this season as evidence of the problem. “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.”

Premiership Rugby is already planning to grow the competition from 10 to 12 clubs by the 2029-30 campaign as part of a broader expansion strategy, with a long-term ambition of reaching as many as 20 sides. McCall’s comments align with that direction, though he is clearly pushing for the cultural shift to happen sooner.

The outgoing coach also floated the idea of a weekly under-21 or under-23 competition as a development pathway, arguing it would allow young Saracens players to gain match experience within the club environment rather than being loaned to lower-league sides. “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,” he said.

McCall, the most decorated coach in Premiership history with six domestic titles and three European Champions Cup crowns across 15 years in charge, will be succeeded by Brendan Venter for the 2026-27 season. Venter, the South African from whom McCall took over in 2011 after serving as his assistant, has already been present at the club’s training ground this week. McCall is set to transition into a technical advisor role and will also join the board of directors, with the expectation of working one or two days per week in a mentorship capacity.

Saracens’ season could end as early as Saturday when they travel to face Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park in what amounts to a straight shootout for the final play-off place, though the club has won five consecutive matches to revive their title challenge. McCall said he is at peace with the timing of his departure.

“I knew when my time was up,” he said. “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. Of course I’ll miss it. It’s been a massive part of my life. It’s been 17 years.”