Exeter Chiefs Women
| Full name | Exeter Chiefs Women's Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | RFU |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Location | Exeter, Devon, England |
| Ground(s) | Sandy Park |
| Coach(es) | Steve Salvin (interim)[1] |
| Captain(s) | Poppy Leitch |
| League(s) | PWR |
| Official website | |
| www | |
Exeter Chiefs Women are a professional women's rugby union team based in Exeter, Devon, England.[2] They were founded in 2019 to take part in the Premier 15s, the top level of English women's rugby. They are based at Sandy Park and are affiliated to Premiership Rugby's Exeter Chiefs. The side is coached by interim Head Coach, Steve Salvin.[1] Poppy Leitch captains the side.
Creation
The creation of Exeter Chiefs Women was announced in September 2019 with former England women's national rugby union team players Susie Appleby and Amy Garnett announced as their first coaches.[2] Exeter Chiefs announced they would be spending £500,000 to set up the women's team ahead of a scheduled audit of the Premier 15s by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in the hopes they would be able to apply for a place in the league.[3] Their intent was to increase participation in rugby in Devon and Cornwall.[4]
In April 2020, as part of the review of the Premier 15s by the RFU, Exeter Chiefs Women were offered a place in the 2020-21 Premier 15s alongside Sale Sharks Women.[5] The move attracted controversy as Exeter and Sale gained their places at the expense of Waterloo Ladies and Richmond Women,[6] the latter of which was one of the most historically successful clubs in women's rugby.[5][7] They were also criticised for not earning their place by promotion however some women's rugby analysts argued that women's rugby needed clubs that had the backing of professional men's sides in order to be viable in the long term.[7]
In their debut season, the side finished 6th in the Premier 15s.[8] In their second season, they reached the first final in their history, against Harlequins Women in the Allianz Cup.
Premier 15s
Upon announcement of the team joining the Premier 15s, player recruitment was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of internationals from various countries joined the club.[9] They played their first match in the Premier 15s against Gloucester-Hartpury.[10]
PWR and Allianz Cup
Following the change from Premier 15s to the PWR, Chiefs finished 6th in the inaugural season. The following season the finished second in the league, and beat Harlequins 57–12 in the inaugural Allianz Cup.
Susie Appleby departed her role as Head Coach in 2025 after her contract was not renewed.[1]
100 Caps
Captain Poppy Leitch became Exeter's first player to reach 100 caps in December 2024.[11]
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
Notable players
The following are players which have represented their countries at the Rugby World Cup whilst playing for Exeter Chiefs:
| Tournament | Players selected | England players | Other national team players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17 | Claudia MacDonald | Chloe Rollie, Eilidh Sinclair , Robyn Wilkins, Abbie Fleming , DaLeaka Menin, Emily Tuttosi, Gabrielle Senft, McKinley Hunt , Silvia Turani , Charli Jacoby, Gabby Cantorna, Hope Rogers, Jennine Detiveaux, Megan Foster, Rachel Johnson, Kate Zackary (c) |
References
- ^ a b c "Head coach Appleby to leave Exeter Chiefs". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Exeter Chiefs create professional women's rugby team". ITV. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ admin (24 September 2019). "Exeter Chiefs won't be the last club to establish women's team". The Rugby Paper. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ Pilnick, Brent (2 September 2019). "Women's Premier 15s: Exeter launch side in bid for league licence –". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Sale Sharks and Exeter Chiefs awarded Tyrrells Premier 15s status". The Telegraph. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.(subscription required)
- ^ Orchard, Sara (6 April 2020). "Premier 15s: Sale and Exeter replace Richmond and Firwood Waterloo in women's top flight". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Spencer column: Cruel for Richmond but the game has moved on". The Rugby Paper. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "RFU". www.premier15s.com. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
- ^ "Exeter Chiefs' new women's team". Rugby World. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Two different Exeter Chiefs stories as Women make debut". Last Word on Sports. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Team news: Captain Poppy to become Chiefs Women's first centurion". 20 December 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2025.