Exeter Chiefs

Free Premiership Rugby TV

Fri, 25 May 2012 15:50:40 BST

Premiership Rugby TV lets you re-live all the highs and lows from this season & last. You can enjoy all the action from this year’s Aviva Premiership Rugby Final completely free- after all it is the most important date in the rugby calendar.

The Aviva Premiership Rugby Final takes place at Twickenham tomorrow and this year’s final will see last year’s finalists Leicester Tigers take on Harlequins in the biggest domestic club final in world Rugby Union.

However, who will be crowned as the 2011/12 Aviva Premiership Rugby Champions?

Premiership Rugby TV has been struck by the finals fever this week, you can watch all the action from the top two teams in the Aviva Premiership battle it out on Premiership Rugby TV.

Features include:

•    Pre- Final Build up
•    Interviews
•    Live commentary
•    Full match replay of the Final
•    Highlights of the Final

And that’s not all... Why not warm up for the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final and catch up with all the action from this year’s Aviva Premiership Rugby season. You can also watch all episodes of Guinness Behind The Badge, our show that takes you behind the scenes at your favourite club, getting you up close and personal with your favourite players!

Get ready for the final on Premiership Rugby TV today!

Nacho gets the call

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:20:10 BST

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs fly-half Ignacio Mieres has been named in a 29-man Argentina squad for their forthcoming international clashes with Italy and France.

Having topped the Exeter scoring charts this season with 282 points, the 25-year-old will be hoping to add to the four international caps he has already accrued with the Pumas.

Argentina tackle Italy on Saturday, June 9, in the Bicentennial Stadium in San Juan, before back-to-back clashes against the French on Saturday, June 16 at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba and the Estadio Jose Fierro, Tucumán, on Saturday, June 23.

Mieres' Exeter team-mate Gonzalo Camacho has not been selected in this squad, but he is likely to feature for Argentina when they compete in the inaugural Championship alongside New Zealand, Australia and South Africa later in the year.

TJ to tackle the Baa-Baas

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:41:58 BST

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs flanker Tom Johnson has been named in England's starting line-up for Sunday's Killik Cup encounter against the Barbarians at Twickenham (2.30pm).

The 29-year-old forward will start on the blindside flank in an England side that has 11 players who featured in this year’s RBS 6 Nations.

Sadly there is no place for Johnson's Exeter team-mate Haydn Thomas, who has also been training with Stuart Lancaster's squad this past week at their Pennyhill Park base in Surrey.

It will be Johnson's second appearance for England against the Baa-Baas, having played and scored in the corresponding fixture last year.

Head Coach Lancaster said: “We are treating this as a very important game for setting the foundations for the tour. The players have been excellent this week and have been fully focussed as we are looking to build on the momentum of the Six Nations. This is a really important milestone in our preparation for South Africa.

“With the Leicester and Harlequins players unavailable it's a great opportunity for those other players involved in the Six Nations to lead the way. Some of the younger players have a chance to put a marker down and get their first taste of international rugby such as Christian Wade on the wing, Joe Launchbury, Alex Goode and Jonathan Joseph on the bench. Being able to name a back line very similar to the Six Nations and the strength we have in the forwards with the likes of Tom Johnson and Carl Fearns, who played in this game last year, is a real positive.

“The support we had at Twickenham against Wales and Ireland was fantastic and we can’t wait to get back there. The Barbarians have a really strong team packed with talent and experience and having been involved in this fixture before I know it will be a great occasion.”

England v Barbarians

15 Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
14 Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
13 Brad Barritt (Saracens)
12 Owen Farrell (Saracens)
11 Christian Wade (London Wasps)
10 Charlie Hodgson (Saracens)
9 Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
1 Matt Stevens (Saracens)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
3 Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints)
4 Mouritz Botha (Saracens)
5 Tom Palmer (Stade Francais)
6 Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs)
7 Carl Fearns (Bath Rugby)
8 Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints, capt)

Replacements

16 Lee Mears (Bath Rugby)
17 Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors)
18 Joe Launchbury (London Wasps)
19 Jamie Gibson (London Irish)
20 Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)
21 Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)
22 Alex Goode (Saracens)

Academy trio sign on

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:02:23 BST

Picture: Exeter Rugby Club/Pinnacle Photo Agency

By Mark Stevens

Exeter academy coach Rob Gibson believes the club are making huge strides in developing home-grown talent who, in years to come, can help provide the spine to the Chiefs’ first-team squad.

On the day that Gibson confirmed highly-rated youngsters Joel Conlon, Keiran Davies and Jack Arnott had all agreed professional terms with the Chiefs, the Kiwi coach says it is imperative that the conveyor belt of local talent continues to deliver year on year.

Already the Chiefs have gained huge rewards with the development of young guns such as Ben Moon, Dave Ewers, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Hill, Jack Nowell and Henry Slade, but Gibson insists that is only the beginning of the process and more players should follow a similar path in years to come.

“It’s great to see them come through, but our job is only half done,” said Gibson (pictured). “We need to get them into the Premiership.

“Ben Moon is starting to become a regular first-teamer, Dave Ewers has had some good first team exposure, but we need to have three or four of them establishing themselves in the first team in the next few years. If we could have half a dozen in the next six years, I think that would be brilliant.”

Elevation into the first team picture is certainly the goal for all the academy youngsters, but for now Gibson is keen that in the case of Conlon, Davies and Arnott, they continue their rugby education under the gaze of the Sandy Park coaching staff.

Already Davies and Arnott have both figured for the Exeter Braves in the Aviva Premiership A League, the latter of whom scored tries in both the semi-final and final of the competition, whilst Conlon has impressed many featuring for England Under-18s this past season.

Commenting on the trio, Gibson said of winger Arnott: “His biggest asset is his pace – he’s lightning quick – and he always works hard on his game.

“He started the A League semi-final and final on merit and he scored some good tries throughout the A League. He’s very conscientious in everything he does and he could be the model pro – you only have to tell him something once and he goes away and works on it and keeps doing it until he gets it right.”

As for Davies, Gibson added: “He’s a good Sidmouth lad and as tough as nails. He’s a quiet lad, very unassuming, but one of his biggest assets is he’s mentally tough, he understands his job in the scrum, enjoys scrummaging and can play both sides of the scrum.

“He’s got to work on being a bit more dynamic around the field. He’s got good handling skills and with his work in the set-piece and tight he’ll come through. However, he’s just the sort of prop we need to have – he’s got good skills but understands he needs to do his first job first.”

Completing the trio is No.8 Conlon (pictured), who Gibson has worked closely with at Ivybridge Community College alongside both Arnott and Davies. The coach continued: “Joel’s got lightning pace and is a very exciting player. He’s got a good all-round skill set and has been at Ivybridge for the last two years.

“He’s a bright prospect at this stage but is a rookie and has a lot to learn. The challenge for him coming into senior rugby is controlling the ball at the base of a scrum.

“He’ll probably go back to plat at Taunton next season – it’s always nice to get them back to their home club. The long-term view will be to get him Championship rugby but he’s young for his year group.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him play men’s rugby. He needs that physical challenge.”

Meanwhile, another of the Exeter Chiefs Academy youngsters James Lightfoot-Brown has been handed a contract by the England sevens squad.

The 18-year-old, who initially signed a two-year contract with the Chiefs last October, was released at the end of the season.

The former London Irish youngster is one of seven players handed full-time contracts by head coach Ben Ryan as he will have 16 players on deals next season, up from 12 last term.

Parade of Champions

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:54:39 BST

Pictures: Exeter Rugby Club/Pinnacle Photo Agency

Youngsters from both Topsham and Redruth Rugby Clubs will be heading for Twickenham this Saturday after their success in this season's Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup held at Exeter Chiefs allowed them to represent their region in a special ‘Parade of Champions’ at the home of English rugby.

This unique and special opportunity will see the youngsters attend the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final at Twickenham on Saturday 26th May and be presented to a sell-out crowd, as due recognition for being crowned Regional Champions.

Both Topsham Under-12s and Redruth Under-11s won this once in a lifetime opportunity back in October when they team took part in a hugely successful festival at Sandy Park

Participating players at the festival also had the opportunity to meet their Exeter rugby heroes James Hanks, Chris Bentley and Haydn Thomas, who took time out of their busy schedules to watch the young teams as well as offer coaching advice between games. The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup is a grassroots initiative run in conjunction with Premiership Rugby and Land Rover, Official Vehicle of Premiership Rugby.

The teams will be celebrating their hard-earned victories at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday where they will get to see Leicester Tigers and Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership battle it out in the final. The excited young rugby players will parade around the pitch at half time in front of a crowd of 82,000 rugby fans.

Land Rover ambassador and England rugby star Ben Youngs commented on what a special day this will be for the future stars of the game, “It all starts at grassroots level and the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup provides a great experience and platform for young aspiring players. We all started here at festivals like this and so seeing these youngsters playing reminds me of where my career began.

"The fact that the winning teams from the festivals are able to be a part of the Land Rover Parade of Champions at the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final is something special and I’m sure something that they will remember for the rest of their rugby careers. Perhaps we’ll even see a few of them playing there soon!”

Commenting on the support of the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup, Laura Schwab, Marketing Director of Land Rover UK, said: “We are thrilled that the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup is proving to be such a success and continues to build in momentum and profile for what is now its fourth year. It is a significant initiative which provides a unique opportunity for young players to channel their enthusiasm for the sport and to play in a national tournament.

"Land Rover’s commitment to rugby covers every level of the game, from Rugby World Cup 2015 through to the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup, and we are committed to supporting the development of the young players of the future.”

View more pictures from this year's Land Rover Premiership Cup at the Chiefs, click here

ESPN to show Sevens

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:01:59 BST

ESPN has announced it will televise exclusive live coverage of the JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s this summer. The competition is set to feature some of the Aviva Premiership's most talented young players taking part in the high-octane, fast-flowing rugby format.

• Coverage of every match featuring all 12 Premiership teams

• Third year of tournament live on ESPN

The competition is played out over four weeks, starting on Friday 13th July, with teams in groups of four competing in three regional pools before the top six teams move on to play in the final at The Recreation Ground in Bath on Friday 4th August.

The competition follows on from a thrilling regular season which reaches a climax exclusively live on ESPN at 2pm next Saturday 26th May as Harlequins take on Leicester in the Aviva Premiership Final.

ESPN will bring viewers coverage of every stage, starting in London at the Twickenham Stoop as Aviva Premiership Finalists Harlequins, take on London Irish, London Wasps and 2010 7s winners Saracens in a round-robin format.

ESPN will be live from Edgeley Park on 20th July as Sale Sharks play host to Aviva Premiership Finalists Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints and current 7s champions Newcastle Falcons. The following week sees the final group stage take place at Kingsholm on Thursday 26th July. Bath Rugby, Exeter Chiefs and Worcester Warriors will join Gloucester for the games.

ESPN’s coverage will be live from the stadia on each match night, as it broadcasts six 14-minute matches back to back.

Jeroen Oerlemans, Vice-President TV Channels, ESPN EMEA said: “ESPN is delighted to continue its association with the core of English club rugby and bring fans this hugely entertaining form of the game in the summer. We eagerly await the JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series on ESPN.”

“We are delighted that we have once again finalised an agreement with ESPN to broadcast the 2012 JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s live. It’s a sure sign that the demand for top class English club rugby is growing every year,” said Premiership Rugby Commercial Director, Dominic Hayes. “The tournament, now in its third year, gets better and better and we are expecting big crowds at each of the series events, starting at the Twickenham Stoop on 13 July.”

For details and to buy tickets for one of the four events head to: www.jpmorgan7s.com

The JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s is part of ESPN’s established rugby coverage in the UK and worldwide. In the UK, ESPN delivers live coverage of Aviva Premiership Rugby and French Top 14 Orange rugby as well as international matches featuring France, Italy, Australia and Argentina. ESPN also has an agreement to show archive matches and footage from each of the six Rugby World Cup tournaments to date on ESPN Classic in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Chad's final thought

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:37:10 BST

Pictures: Exeter Rugby Club/Pinnacle Photo Agency

By Mark Stevens

As Chad Slade prepares to depart Devon for a new start in France, the popular Samoan was today happy to give one final thought on his time at the Exeter Chiefs.

Since joining the Sandy Park club in 2006, it has been a tradition on many an away-day for the 30-year-old to offer his own unique words of wisdom to his fellow players and coaching staff on the bus journey home.

Always a colourful insight into the mindset of the talented forward, Slade's reflections are always the source of much fun and humour. However, his final musings are a much more serious affair as he pays tribute to what he says has been an "amazing period of his life".

"From the first day I came to the club, the whole experience has been awesome. It's been an amazing period of my life and something that I will never forget," said Slade.

"Although it's the end of what has been a very happy journey for me, Exeter will always hold a special place in my heart. If I'm being honest, I already consider myself a Devonian and at the end of my run as a player, I'm sure I will end up back here supporting the boys."

In his six years with the Chiefs, Slade - who was equally at home in either the second row or the back row - has amassed some 124 appearances for the club, scoring 16 tries along the way.

"The club has changed so much from when I first arrived," he added. "It's been great seeing how we have moved on every season and made ourselves one of the top teams in England. As a player it's been amazing, especially getting up into the Premiership, and then progressing as we have.

"For sure winning promotion at Bristol was probably the highlight of my time here, that was such a special night for all of us. I'm sure in years to come I'll be able to look back with my beer guy and say I was part of that club when they got promoted into the Premiership."

The time, however, has come for Slade to move on and his next rugby destination will take him to France where he has penned a contract with Pro Division Two outfit Oyonnax.

"It's a new challenge for me and one that I'm looking forward too," he said. "I'm not getting any younger and I totally understood where Rob and the club were coming front. They've got some great talent here at the club and plenty more coming through with the likes of Dave Ewers. It's tough leaving, of course it is, but going to France will be something different.

"It'll be a different lifestyle, different training a different language, but I'll go over there and get my head down and give it my all. The club is a bit like Exeter in the fact that they are very ambitious and they are pushing hard to get into the Top 14, so we'll see what happens and hopefully play my part.

Settling into new surroundings will be Slade's first mission when he crosses the Channel and for the imposing forward teaming up with new club-mates will be something of a change.

"I'm sure it will be a bit weird at first because the boys here at Exeter are just so close, it's like one big family here," he added. "We're not just mates in and around the club, we do so much together away from the club as well. Even though we train together most days, quite often we meet up away from the club and do things as a big group. It's the same for the wives and girlfriends, they are all pretty close and they spend a lot of time together.

"The family feel of the Chiefs is something that has helped us get to where we are today. It's a special club for sure and the supporters too are a big part of that. We've got no superstars here, we're all in it together and all the guys are happy to come into the bar after a game and chat with the fans, who have brilliant in all the time I've been here.

"I won't lie it is tough leaving Exeter, but as I said the club will always be in my heart and I'll still be supporting the boys from over in France. Personally, I just want to say a big thank-you to everyone from the coaches to the players; the staff around the club and all the supporters; the support they've given me has been outstanding and I'll never forget that."

Get your season ticket now

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:16:29 BST

By Mark Stevens

It's the hottest sporting ticket in the Westcountry, so make sure you don't miss out on any of the 2012/13 action at Sandy Park.

After a memorable campaign this season, next term promises to be bigger and better as the Exeter Chiefs not only tackle the demands of the Aviva Premiership, but also that of the Heineken Cup, where they will go head-to-head against the elite of European rugby.

Season ticket applications have today become available for all supporters, who can either pick up a form from the club ticket office or download it direct by clicking here.

That means for as little as £280 per adult – providing you purchase or renew your season ticket before June 30 – you can not only watch all of the club’s Aviva Premiership home games, but also three home fixtures from the pool rounds of the Heineken Cup competition, as well as an additional two home games in the LV= Cup competition.

Season ticket holders will also get free admission to all of the club’s friendly fixtures, attendance to see the Braves in A League action, as well as discounts on buying drinks in the stadium bars and products within the club’s official Trading Post store.

Tony Rowe (pictured), Exeter Rugby Club’s Chief Executive, said: “Again we’ve had a tremendous season of rugby here at Sandy Park and part of that success has been due to the support we get for all of our home games.

“Building on what was a great first year in the Premiership for us, already this season we’ve again seen improvements on the field in terms of our performances; whilst off it we are also well on course to hit our financial targets for the year.

“As I’ve said before, these are exciting times for our club. We are the region’s Premier sporting club and as we look to the future, I believe the Chiefs are only going to get even bigger and better. Where else locally do you get the chance to see some of the biggest names and clubs in world rugby right on your doorstep?

“As a board we wanted to recognise the loyalty shown by all of our season ticket holders, whilst at the same time encourage many others to sign up for what we believe will be another great season in 2012/13.

“When calculating our figures it showed that if you purchase a season ticket rather than continually buying match tickets on a game-by-game basis, you not only save a considerable sum of money, but it equates to something in excess of three first-team games for free, as well as all the Braves fixtures and discounts mentioned above.”

As well as the freeze on season ticket prices, the Chiefs have also confirmed that match-day prices for Under-16s will also remain untouched for next term.

Discounted prices are only applicable to season ticket renewals prior to June 30, 2012.

Chiefs duo in England squad

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:41:25 BST

Picture: Exeter Rugby Club/Pinnacle Photo Agency

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs duo Tom Johnson and Haydn Thomas have both been named in England's 27-man squad for the Killik Cup against the Barbarians at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday, May 27 (2.30pm).

Scrum-half Thomas is one of four players - Gloucester Rugby’s Freddie Burns, Jamie Gibson of London Irish and Saracens’ Richard Wigglesworth are the others - who have been added to the squad by head coach Stuart Lancaster for the game as players from the Aviva Premiership finalists Leicester Tigers and Harlequins are unavailable.

Commenting on his call-up, Thomas said: "Obviously I'm delighted to have received the call as it's a fantastic opportunity for me. At first I was a little taken back by it all, but now that the news has sunk in I'm really looking forward to the whole experience and being part of the England set-up."

In what has been a fantastic season for both Johnson and Thomas, the latter of whom was included in the Aviva Premiership Dream Team alongside club-mate James Scaysbrook, both will now be looking to impress Lancaster should they get the opportunity to play at English Rugby's HQ against a star-studded Baa-Baas line-up.

"It's great that both myself and TJ have got this recognition at the end of a long and tough season," added Thomas. "But it all comes off the back of what has been a huge team effort by everyone down at the Chiefs. It's been a great year for the club and hopefully next season will be equally as good."

Lancaster, who last week named Johnson his party for this summer's tour to South Africa, said: “This match has become an established fixture in the season and is hugely important for us ahead of the tour. We are holding a short conditioning camp this week for those players whose season finished on the 5th May and already there is a real buzz about this Barbarians match and what lies ahead after that.

“We will obviously be without the Leicester and Harlequins players – and best of luck to both those teams in the Aviva Premiership final – but this is a great opportunity for the rest of the squad, as well as Freddie, Jamie, Richard and Haydn, to put a marker down before we leave for the tour.

“We are looking forward to going back to Twickenham and if the fantastic support that we got against Wales and Ireland is repeated it will be a great occasion.”

Forwards (14)

Mouritz Botha (Saracens)
Alex Corbisiero (London Irish)
Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints)
Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints)
Carl Fearns (Bath Rugby)
Jamie Gibson (London Irish)
Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs)
Joe Launchbury (London Wasps)
Lee Mears (Bath Rugby)
Ben Morgan (Scarlets)
Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors)
Tom Palmer (Stade Francais)
Matt Stevens (Saracens)

Backs (13)

Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby)
Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Charlie Hodgson (Saracens)
Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)
David Strettle (Saracens)
Haydn Thomas (Exeter Chiefs)
Christian Wade (London Wasps)
Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens)

Tickets for the Killik Cup – England v Barbarians on 27th May 2012 are now available, with tickets from £25 for adults and £10 for children. With discounts for groups of 10 or more. Visit rfu.com/tickets to buy now. Booking fees apply and tickets are subject to availability.

Tui already looking ahead

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:25:05 BST

Pictures: Exeter Rugby Club/Pinnacle Photo Agency

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Player of the Year Hoani Tui maybe taking a well-earned rest right now, but he knows it will not be long before he and his team-mates have to muster again for what promises to be another challenging campaign for the Chiefs.

In what was a memorable campaign for the Devon club, not only did the Chiefs secure a top five finish in the Aviva Premiership, but their seasonal efforts were also enough to gain Rob Baxter's side their place amongst Europe's elite in next season's Heineken Cup for the first time ever.

For many at Sandy Park, competing in the Heineken Cup will be somewhat of a new experience - but for the 27-year-old New Zealander, he is one of the few that have experienced playing in the competition during his days with former club Calvisano.

“It’s good for us that we’ll be playing in the Heineken Cup next year because there’s only a handful of us who’ve got that experience," said Tui. “Hopefully we can show that experience and lead the guys who haven’t played that rugby before. It’s going to be a great experience for the players and the club as well.”

Since arriving from Italy in the summer of 2009, the Whanganui-born forward has quickly established himself as a key figure both on and off the field for the Chiefs - and his importance to the team was underlined this season where he played an integral role on both sides of the front-row.

Having started the season in his preferred role of tight-head prop, Tui was later called upon to show his versatility when he moved across to loosehead following injuries to both Brett Sturgess and Ben Moon.

He added: “Ideally I wouldn’t really have liked to have been in this situation because other guys got injured, Sturge broke his arm and Ben Moon turned his ankle. They were unfortunate, but it was fortunate for me to get a bit of time on the other side and add another string to the bow. I hope I did a good job.”

Although modest about his work, Tui's efforts were certainly recognised by his colleagues who recently crowned him the club's Players' Player of the Year for the 2011/12 season.

He said: “It was a big surprise, I was talking to Doc Harris when my name got called out at the dinner. I’m extremely grateful and humbled to win an award. To be voted by your peers is a great thing.”

Although a knee injury prevented Tui from featuring in Exeter's final fixture of the season at Saracens, he still managed to turn out on 25 occasions, scoring his solitary try in the home defeat by Gloucester back in November.

With his recovery well on track, Tui is going to use the close season as not only a chance to rest and relax, but at the same time head home to catch up with friends and family.

“I’ve had a couple of weeks off already with my knee but I’m heading back to New Zealand to see my mum, dad and sister – she had a baby five months ago, a nephew, that I haven’t seen yet,” he said. "It will be good to see them, I haven’t seen my family for a few years, and I will do a bit of training to get my knee sorted and be back here for the summer.

"That said, it doesn’t take long before everything kicks back in, so hopefully I will come back refreshed.”