Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs

Full name	Exeter Rugby Club
Founded	1871 (1871)
Location	Exeter, Devon, England
Ground(s)	Sandy Park (Capacity: 12,600)
Chairman	Tony Rowe OBE
Coach(es)	Rob Baxter
Captain(s)	Jack Yeandle
League(s)	English Premiership
2015–16	2nd
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.exeterchiefs.co.uk

Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) are an English rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon that currently play in the English Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England. They also compete in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and European Rugby Cup competitions.

History

Early years

Exeter Rugby Club was founded in 1871. The club played its first match in 1873 against St. Luke's College. In 1890, they won the Devon Cup. In 1905, Exeter Rugby Club hosted the first match played by the New Zealand national rugby union team on English soil and in the Northern Hemisphere at the County Ground between New Zealand and the Devon County XV. It was from that game, that New Zealand became known as the "All Blacks".

When league rugby started, Exeter were initially placed in the Devon leagues. In the 1990s, Exeter Rugby Club turned semi-professional and changed their name from Exeter Rugby Club to Exeter Chiefs after previously being referred to as the Chiefs in the 1930s. Often their teams at the time were composed of members and former members of the British Army. In 1993 and 1995, they reached the quarter finals of the Pilkington Cup before being knocked out by English Premiership opponents Leicester Tigers and London Wasps respectively.

Professional era

In 1997, Exeter were promoted into the Premiership Two for the first time from National League 1. They regularly finished in the top half of the table. In 2005, Exeter finished second in the league, missing out on promotion by four points behind Bristol Rugby. The next season, they moved from the County Ground to Sandy Park due to a need for modern facilities that included corporate hospitality. In 2008 they again finished in second place and again missed out on promotion by finishing behind Northampton Saints. The same situation happened the next season when Exeter finished behind Leeds Carnegie.

Premiership

In 2009, National Division One was reorganized into the RFU Championship with playoffs. During the regular league season, Exeter finished second behind Bristol. In the playoffs, they defeated Bedford Blues and Nottingham R.F.C. before facing Bristol in the two legged final. Exeter won 9–6 in the first leg at Sandy Park and then won 29–10 at Bristol's Memorial Stadium in the second leg to win promotion to the Premiership for the very first time.

In their first season in the Premiership, they finished eighth despite a two-point deduction and a £5,000 fine for fielding too many overseas players during their match against Leeds Carnegie at Headingley Stadium. They also made their debut in the European Challenge Cup, making their way to the quarter finals where they lost to Stade Français. In the next season, they finished fifth in the Premiership which permitted them to play in the Heineken Cup for the first time. In their first season in the Heineken Cup, they were drawn against French Clermont Auvergne, Irish Leinster Rugby and Welsh Scarlets in the group stage. They finished the group third with nine points ahead of Scarlets. Also in 2013, they, along with Saracens, were the only rugby club to hold a minutes silence before their game against London Irish to remember the death of former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher. In 2014, Exeter Chiefs won their first major rugby trophy after they defeated Northampton Saints in the Anglo-Welsh Cup 15-8 at Sandy Park.

Stadium

Exeter play their home games at Sandy Park, which is located on the outskirts of the city. The club moved from their previous home, the County Ground, in 2006 having played there regularly since 1905. In 2002, Exeter Chiefs started looking for a new stadium because they felt the County Ground was insufficient for growth. Despite concerns of opposition from traditionalists within the club, the motion to move was passed by 99% of the attendees at Exeter's Annual General Meeting. Sandy Park can currently accommodate 12,600 spectators, however, there are plans to increase this capacity to 20,600 with phase one having begun in early 2014. These plans came about because of a requirement for later stages of European matches to be played at grounds with a capacity of at least 20,000.

Club honours

• Courage League Division 4
  • Champions 1995–96
• Courage League Division 3
  • Champions 1996–97
• The Championship
  • Champions 2009–10
• Aviva A League
  • Champions 2011–12, 2015–16
• Anglo-Welsh Cup
  • Champions: 2013–14

Current squad

For player movements leading up to the 2016–17 season, see List of 2016–17 Aviva Premiership transfers § Exeter Chiefs.

2016-17 Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Luke Cowan-Dickie Hooker England Shaun Malton Hooker South Africa Elvis Taione Hooker Tonga Jack Yeandle (c) Hooker England Tomas Francis Prop Wales Alec Hepburn Prop England Greg Holmes Prop Australia Moray Low Prop Scotland Ben Moon Prop England Carl Rimmer Prop England Harry Williams Prop England Ollie Atkins Lock Scotland Jonny Hill Lock England Mitch Lees Lock Australia Geoff Parling Lock England Jerry Sexton Lock Ireland Lewis Stevenson Lock Ireland Damian Welch Lock England Don Armand Flanker Zimbabwe Dave Dennis Flanker Australia Dave Ewers Flanker England Tom Johnson Flanker England Julian Salvi Flanker Australia Ben White Flanker Australia Kai Horstmann Number 8 Zimbabwe Thomas Waldrom Number 8 England

Player Position Union Will Chudley Scrum-half England Dave Lewis Scrum-half England Haydn Thomas Scrum-half England Will Hooley Fly-half England Gareth Steenson Fly-half Ireland Michele Campagnaro Centre Italy Ollie Devoto Centre England Sam Hill Centre England Henry Slade Centre England Ian Whitten Centre Ireland Jack Arnott Wing England Matt Jess Wing England Jack Nowell Wing England James Short Wing England Lachlan Turner Wing Australia Olly Woodburn Wing England Phil Dollman Fullback Wales

Academy squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Jack Innard Hooker England Jack Stanley Prop England Jake Woolmore Prop England Josh Caulifield Lock England Ed Holmes Lock England Sam Simmonds Flanker England Sam Skinner Flanker England

Player Position Union Jack Maunder Scrum-half England Stuart Townsend Scrum-half England Tom Hendrickson Centre New Zealand Max Bodilly Fullback England

Current kit

The kit is supplied by Samurai Rugby Gear. On the front of the shirt, SW Comms appear on the centre and the top left and Watson is on the top right. The Contact Hire Supermarket is on the right sleeve. On the back of the shirt, Central is on the top while Flybe is on top of the squad number and M.J. Baker at the bottom. On the shorts, SW Comms (which also appear on the centre and the top left on the front of the shirt) is on the bottom left of the front shorts while on the back shorts, Frobishers Juice is at the top while Otter Brewery is on the bottom left.

External links

• Exeter Chiefs official site
• The Tribe – Fans Forum and much more