Northampton Saints Match Day Programme

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Happy New Year to you all and welcome back to Sandy Park for today’s Gallagher Premiership Rugby encounter with Northampton Saints. .

After a testing 12 months, one in which we saw both Wasps and Worcester Warriors drop out of the Premiership due to huge strains on their finances, I do believe 2023 will offer a more favourable outlook for rugby within the top-flight.

Take out Saracens - who have certainly been the stand-out side so far this season - and the division is as competitive as I have ever seen it. Coming into this weekend, just ten points separate Harlequins in third and Bristol Bears at the bottom of the standings.

Having such a compelling battle is integral to the future growth of not only the Premiership, but rugby as a whole within this country. These are exciting times and we must embrace them!

Today, we play our first game of the New Year with the visit of the Saints here to Devon. It marks the first of four home games in the next five weeks, so brace yourselves for a busy period of action.

As Rob and the coaches have rightly pointed out this week, it also marks the start of a pivotal period within the season. Making the most of home advantage will be key to our seasonal aspirations, particularly if we want to be fighting come the business end of the season.

It will be tough, we know that, but the one thing

we love here at the Chiefs is a challenge and that’s certainly going to be the case over the remainder of the season.

The one away game in that five-week block comes next weekend when we will make our first-ever trip as a club to South Africa. Tomorrow, I will travel with the squad to Johannesburg - and then onto Pretoria - for what will be another key moment in our club’s history.

Adapting to the new surroundings, including playing at altitude, will certainly be something new, but I fully expect our lads to embrace the whole experience and, hopefully, get the result that will put us in prime position for qualification into the latter stages of the Heineken Champions Cup.

Finally, can I take a moment to thank all of you who have messaged me in the wake of my latest New Year’s Honour. As I said last week, I was taken aback at the award of the CBE, but it would not have been possible without the great teams I have around me, not just here at the Rugby Club, but with the Exeter Chiefs Foundation and also in my interests away from the club. I thank them all for their efforts.

TONY ROWE CBE

CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE EXETER RUGBY CLUB

Having such a compelling battle is integral to the future growth of not only the Premiership, but rugby as a whole within this country

ROB baxter

Good afternoon and welcome to Sandy Park for our first game of 2023, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year, and are looking ahead to a fruitful and positive 2023.

The last month of last year was on the whole positive, especially in the Heineken Champions Cup, but for various reasons we let ourselves down in the New Year’s Eve game at Saracens.

We did have some illness and injury issues, some very late in the week, but even so we made some basic errors in how you play against Saracens. That was compounded by a lack of sharpness in a couple of areas, and we were under scoreboard and territory pressure throughout.

What was encouraging again was the performances of some of our younger players who are now getting crucial game time and that bodes well for the future.

The best thing about sport is that you can always move forward and we still have a great opportunity in all three competitions, however, the tough thing in sport is that there comes a stage when the now decides your future.

We are in the middle of that now, we have three home Premiership games and must collect points, otherwise the race for the top four will slip away from us very quickly. Likewise, we need to fire in good performances in our next two Heineken Cup games against the Bulls and Casters, otherwise the good start will not count for much.

Our biggest challenge is to fight for consistency in our individual and collective performance – and to find the reason we are going to fight like a team that is stronger than the individuals.

Finally, can I take this opportunity to welcome Phil Dowson, together with his fellow coaches, staff, players and supporters of Northampton to today’s game.

All the Best Rob

Saracens: A Goode, M Malins, E Daly (A Lozowski 11), N Tompkins, S Maitland (A Lewington 66); O Farrell, I van Zyl (A Davies 55); M Vunipola (E Mawi 66), J George (K Pifeleti 66), M Riccioni (E Bello 66); M Itoje, N Isiekwe (H Tigard 63); A Christie, J Wray (B Earl 52), B Vunipola.

Chiefs: J Hodge; J Nowell (R O’Loughlin 63), H Slade, S Kata (T Hendrickson 66), O Woodburn; J Simmonds, S Maunder (T Cairns 63); S Sio (J Iosefa-Scott 53), J Yeandle (capt, D Frost 53), H Williams (P Schickerling 53); R van Heerden, J Gray (J Dunne 59); S Grondona, C Tshiunza (L Pearson 63), G Fisilau.

Referee: C Maxwell-Keys

Attendance: 10,500

MATCH STATS

foundation offer boost to local charity

There were piles of parsnips, bags of brussels and crates of carrots floor to ceiling in an Exeter food charity’s warehouse as it launched Operation Christmas Lunch.

Exeter Food Action supplied festive fayre for more than 1,000 people in the run up to the big day. A donation of £20,000 from the Exeter Chiefs Foundation paid for the raw ingredients, treats, soft drinks and other goodies.

Chairman, Tony Rowe OBE, said: “We felt strongly that some of the money donated to us this year should be used to support a food charity. We have made a fighting fund of £50,000 available and any money not spent over the Christmas period will be ring fenced to help families in the New Year. I want to say a huge thank you and well done to Exeter Food Action for making this project work at very short notice.”

Exeter Food Action takes delivery of excess food from shops and suppliers, and redistributes it to organisations that support people in need in Devon. However, there had been a growing concern that leftover stock might be in short supply this year as shoppers, and supermarkets, tighten their belts.

At a recent meeting, Foundation trustees agreed to use a pot of undesignated money to help ease the burden on anyone struggling this Christmas. They teamed up with Exeter Food Action which provides its services for free and is supported by grants and donations.

Celebrity chef Michael Caines MBE has been helping to co-ordinate the project. He said: “As a charity our mission is to improve the lives of the people in our community and we really wanted to help those who are struggling this Christmas.”

rowe awarded cbe in new year’s honours list

Exeter Rugby Club chairman and chief executive, Tony Rowe, has been awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to rugby and to the city’s community

The driving force behind the Chiefs for over 20 years, Mr Rowe admitted he had to check initially that the email he received was not an online scam. However, once confirmed, the 74-year-old spoke of his delight at the accolade.

“Obviously, I’m delighted and honoured to receive the CBE, but a good part of this is down to the team I have around me on a daily basis,” said Mr Rowe, who has helped take Exeter Rugby Club from the

National Leagues to that of European and English champions.

“I’m very fortunate that here at the rugby club we have a fantastic team on the field, but an equally good one off the field that has brought us great success over many years.

“Equally, my role with the Exeter Chiefs Foundation is just as rewarding and those trustees I have alongside me play a huge part in helping making a real difference within the local community. We are rightly proud of our many achievements over the years and again this award for myself is down to a lot of their hard work as well.”

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continual tinkering of the rules is madness - baxter

Round 13 saw the top three sides – Saracens, Sale and Harlequins – fall to the bottom three with London Irish, Newcastle and Bristol all prevailing in defiance of the form guide. Exeter themselves almost came unstuck against underperforming Bath on Christmas Eve but clung on to leave their westcountry rivals propping up the table.

Relegation will not return until the 2024-2025 season at the earliest and Baxter believes that removing it has encouraged teams to play with greater ambition.

“The league is so different without relegation –people probably don’t quite realise that,” Baxter said. “A perfect example is when we’ve been to Newcastle when they’ve been in the bottom two. It’s very hard to play with the ambition and desire that they play with now because there’s so much hanging on the result.

“We’ve won some pretty tight games against teams that have been in the bottom two because the game means so much that as it gets to that pressure 10 minutes at the end, they start to make more mistakes than you do.

“That’s actually changed a bit and what you’re

seeing is that teams at the bottom of the league can get on with it. They’re not looking over their shoulder, they’re looking upwards all the time. So now you’re never in a scenario where a team aren’t coming after you.

“Some teams in the relegation zone would rest players when they came up against a side they didn’t think they would beat because the next game was against a relegation rival. That doesn’t happen any more because there’s no need to. So I think all these competitive results are going to happen more and more often.”

Baxter was also quizzed about new law directives designed to speed up the game will come into effect. These include the enforcement of a shot clock for goal-kicking, reduced use of the TMO and free-kicks awarded for time wasting during events such as scrums and line-outs.

Baxter believes that rugby’s continual tinkering of its rules is “madness”.

“We’re making it impossible to attract supporters because they don’t know what game they’re going to watch,” Baxter said. “We’ve got to decide on something and settle on it for longer periods than we do. A lot more thought and time needs to go into the changes. It’s almost become part of rugby now that things have to change during the season. It just seems madness to me and we’ve got to get out of it.”

Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter predicts the Gallagher Premiership will continue to produce an abundance of shock results while there is no threat of relegation.

chiefs secure premier 15s place

Exeter Chiefs Women are among eight clubs that have been selected via the tender process and offered a place in the Allianz Premier 15s competition from the 2023-24 season, subject to the signing of shareholder and other agreements.

The clubs selected at this stage, following a competitive tender process, are: Bristol Bears, Ealing Trailfinders, Exeter Chiefs, GloucesterHartpury, Harlequins, Leicester Tigers, Loughborough Lightning and Saracens.

The league has capacity for ten teams and while a number of clubs have not been selected to enter at this stage, there is potential for clubs to join the league at a later stage. The RFU and Women’s Premier 15 Ltd (WP15) will continue to work with these clubs on their potential to participate in the league.

Clubs that have not been offered a place in next

season’s Allianz Premier 15s can appeal and this process will aim to conclude by the end of February.

Exeter Rugby Club chairman and chief executive, Tony Rowe OBE, said: “As a club we are delighted we have been confirmed as one of the eight teams selected following the extensive tender process.

“People will see how over the past three years we have established a fantastic women’s team under the guidance of head coach Susie Appleby. Not only have we been able to bring through a wealth of homegrown talent, but the mix of experienced and international players has helped us to deliver a winning formula, both on and off the field.

“Looking to the future, I am confident we can build on our success and generate an environment that will benefit not only the club and our players, but also our fan-base, which is growing season on season.”

twickenham return for the chiefs

Exeter Chiefs are heading back to Twickenham in the New Year after it was confirmed both the men’s and women’s side will tackle their Harlequins counterparts in Big Game 14 on Saturday, March 4.

The Londoners confirmed the news last week after they were forced to cancel their proposed double-header against Bristol Bears on December 27 due to the on-going industrial action by the RMT.

Harlequins have been working closely with South Western Railway through the RFU, Premiership Rugby and all key stakeholders to understand the impact of the current RMT industrial action.

Despite December 27 not being a designated

day for industrial action, Harlequins were advised on crowd safety concerns that it would not be safe to deliver the much anticipated sold-out Twickenham stadium event.

Harlequins CEO, Laurie Dalrymple explained: “We are devastated to have to move Big Game 14 from its annual festive place in the calendar because of this strike action. We know how special this event is to our local community and this was due to be our biggest and bestever event. Ultimately, we must put the safety of fans and those working at the event first and it is clear that without the functioning rail network, we cannot safely deliver a large scale event at Twickenham.

The women’s clash will kick-off at 12pm with the men’s game following at 3pm.

The University of Exeter has bolstered its long-standing partnership with the Exeter Chiefs by entering into a new strategic and sponsorship agreement.

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PROUDFOOT STEPS DOWN FROM HIS ROLE AS FORWARDS COACH

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) have confirmed that Matt Proudfoot’s tenure as England senior men’s forwards coach has come to an end.

Proudfoot was part of Eddie Jones’ coaching staff and will return to South Africa following the axing of Jones. Earlier this week Stellenbosch University confirmed that former Springbok assistant coachwill join the Maties for next season’s Varsity Cup after three years with England.

RFU executive director of performance rugby, Conor O’Shea said; “We are very grateful to Matt for all he has done for England and wish him every success in his next career move.”

Proudfoot said: “It has been a privilege to be part of the team for the last three years.”

Proudfoot, South African born and a former Scottish international, was forwards coach with the South African national team from 2016 to 2019 and was part of Rassie Erasmus’ backroom staff during the last Rugby World Cup.

CARE EXTENDS HIS STAY WITH HARLEQUINS INTO 18TH YEAR

Long-serving scrum-half Danny Care has extended his contract at Harlequins.

The 35-year-old - who won his 87th England cap in the summer - will spend his 18th year at Quins in 2023-24. “I cherish some incredible memories so far and I know this group is capable of creating moments of the same calibre,” he said.

Care is fourth in the Premiership’s all-time try-scoring charts with 83 and his 260 league appearances ranks him fifth overall. He is also approaching 350 appearances in a Quins shirt and is one of only four players to have played on more than 300 occasions.

He arrived in Twickenham from Leeds Tykes in 2006 and wrote himself into club folklore as he started their 2011 Challenge Cup victory against Stade Francais and their Premiership finals in 2012 and 2021.

“Pulling on the Quins jersey has been and continues to be one of the proudest parts of my career and I’m delighted to sign on again,” Care added.

MARLER BANNED FOR COMMENTS MADE IN CLASH WITH BRISTOL

England and Harlequins prop Joe Marler has been banned for six weeks - four of them suspended - after accepting a charge regarding comments made to Bristol flanker Jake Heenan.

The 32-year-old attended a disciplinary hearing last week after being cited for conduct prejudicial to the game. He will serve a two-week ban, but the rest could be imposed for any similar offence before the end of next season. Marler apologised to Heenan on Twitter after the match, but has also been ordered to give a presentation to a local club or school, and to a Premiership academy, on the core values of the game.

“The player accepted that his conduct was prejudicial to the interests of the game,” RFU disciplinary panel chair Gareth Graham said. “Rugby’s core values are not empty words or slogans which can be signed up to and then ignored. They are integral to the game. The insulting and offensive comments made by the player were wholly inappropriate; such comments should form no part of the modern game.”

BATH BOOSTED AS INTERNATIONAL STARS ALL AGREE NEW CONTRACTS

England flanker Sam Underhill has signed a new contract at Bath.

The 26-year-old has joined fellow back rowers Alfie Barbeary, Josh Bayliss, Chris Cloete, Jaco Coetzee, Ted Hill and Miles Reid in committing to the club for next season.

“Sam has proved his quality at international and club level,” said Bath’s head of rugby Johann van Graan. “He is a leader, has fantastic defensive qualities and still has a great desire to develop his game.”

As well as Underhill, Bath have also tied down the futures of fellow England internationals Ben Spencer, Tom Dunn and Will Stuart, as well as Scottish international Cameron Redpath. Spencer will have Finn Russell outside him next season after the Scotland international agreed a move to Bath from Racing 92.

INJURY RULES McFARLAND OUT FOR REMAINDER OF THE SEASON

Saracens forward Theo McFarland is set to miss the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in training.

“Everyone knows, not how difficult it is to come back from an ACL, but how painstaking the process is,” said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall.

“It’s a shame because Theo made a lot of progress very quickly, but we have a great medical team and he’ll come back well and he’ll come back strongly. When he does, he’ll get better and better. Now we just feel sad for him.”

The home of domestic rugby

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

Saints were able to see off the Chiefs at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in November, securing a gritty 26-19 success.

But Ramm, who scored two tries in the 46-17 New Year’s Day win against Harlequins, knows it is only going to get tougher as his team take to the field away from home.

“We put on a good performance here when we played them but it’s a whole different beast going down there, not that I’ve done it before, but I’ve heard,” Ramm said. “We need to take the momentum from the win against Harlequins, definitely. That win was what we wanted to start our 2023 off - and we couldn’t have asked for more.

Northampton Saints winger James Ramm knows Exeter Chiefs will be ‘a whole different beast’ when they face them at Sandy Park today.

“It’s a great performance from the team. We put a massive focus on this next block on our defence. Everyone knows that Saints is a team with real attacking flair, but this block is really about defence. It’s good to see that when we put a focus on something and when we’re really able to highlight something, we’re able to go out there and put it on the field.”

Ramm arrived from Australia last summer, joining Saints from NSW Waratahs. And he has gone on to establish himself as a key member of the squad, scoring six tries in nine appearances so far.

He has loved life at Saints, and is even learning to enjoy the inclement weather!

“It’s very, very different to what I’m used to!” Ramm said. “It was about 10 degrees at the start of the game on Sunday, sunny, nice, but then it starting haling. But I was loving it out there. Those sorts of games are why you play rugby!

“As a player, I need a bit of continuity and I have had a couple of seasons interrupted by injury so I haven’t

able to get that flow. But when I’m enjoying my rugby, I’m playing my best, and I definitely loved it on Sunday.” Team news for the visitors sees Courtnall Skosan, Mike Haywood and Alex Coles return to their starting line-up. South African international Skosan starts on the wing for Saints as part of a back three reshuffle which sees England’s Tommy Freeman start at full-back, while the in-form Ramm keeps his place.

That allows George Furbank to switch into the No.10 jersey with Fin Smith still returning from concussion.

Up front, Haywood is one of two changes to the pack, coming into the front row to replace the injured Sam Matavesi. Alex Coles returns to the matchday 23 for the first time in almost a month, partnering Alex Moon in the engine room, with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto preferred at flanker alongside Angus Scott-Young and No.8 Lewis Ludlam.

Amongst the replacements, tighthead prop Alfie Petch will be hoping to make an impact against his former side.

Gallagher

Gallagher

Gallagher Premiership (Sandy Park, 25/9/21) EXETER 24 / NORTHAMPTON 26

DANGERMAN

GEORGE FURBANK

Bursting onto the scene at Saints in 2018 while in the club’s Senior Academy, George Furbank was rewarded with his first senior contract ahead of the 2019/20 season.

After starting off at hometown club Huntingdon RFC, the fullback honed his skills at Bedford School – alongside several other fellow Saints – and joined the Senior Academy in 2016.

Furbank lifted the Premiership Rugby Under-18s League trophy before making his senior club debut in November 2017, marking the occasion against Exeter Chiefs in the Anglo-Welsh Cup with a try.

And the full-back/fly-half would make 18 appearances in his breakthrough season during 2018/19 as he helped Saints reach the knock-out stages of every competition – starting in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Clermont Auvergne, and the Premiership Rugby Cup final victory in 2019 that saw Northampton claim a first piece of silverware in five seasons.

Furbank cemented his place in Saints’ starting line-up in 2019/20, with his stellar performances not only helping Northampton to their first win on French soil since 2011, but also putting the fullback on the international stage – where a call-up to the England squad and his Test debut against France in the 2020 Six Nations would follow.

After reaching 50 appearances for Saints in 2020/21, Furbank earned an England recall to feature against Canada in the summer, before starting at fly-half against Tonga in the 2021 Autumn Nations Series.

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Happy New Year to everyone.

Well, it was not the way Chiefs’ fans would have wanted to see in the New Year with a bit of a stuffing at Saracens.

It was not unexpected, given the strengths of the two respective sides, the number of players that Chiefs had missing, and the illness problems in the camp, but it doesn’t make it any less painful.

The players now have the chance to put things right with their next three Premiership games at home, and four of their next five at Sandy Park.

Such is the dreadfully bitty nature of the Premiership this season, partly caused by the loss of Worcester and Wasps to administration, those next three league games are incredibly spread out over the course of eight weeks!

Nothing like trying to get into a rhythm! The whole fixture structure needs looking at for next season.

First up is Northampton Saints today, followed by Gloucester on January 28 and Sale Sharks on February 26.

They are all tough-looking fixtures, but as head coach

Ali Hepher said after the Saracens game, they are crucial to the outcome of the Chiefs’ league season.

Win them and Exeter will be firmly in the play-off picture, but lose them, or at least a couple of them, and the Chiefs could find themselves bottom of the table, such is the very tight nature of the league below Saracens and Sale at the top.

It is very hard to see anything stopping those two making the Premiership semi-finals, so everyone else is chasing the two remaining spots.

Only 10 points covers third to 11th – something I can’t remember ever seeing before at this stage of the campaign.

Just before we saw out 2022, Rob Baxter (pictured) explained that teams at the bottom are playing with more freedom and going for games more because they know there is no relegation this season.

It has made it a much more competitive league, with anyone able to beat anyone on their day, and it will add weight to the argument of those who want to see the league ring-fenced. However, I am a great believer in retaining promotion and relegation.

On the international front, it will not be long before we are welcoming the start of the Six Nations Championship, and it will be very interesting to see the first squad picked by new England head coach Steve Borthwick, and how many Chiefs’ players will feature.

I can’t end this column without saying many congratulations to Exeter chairman and chief executive Tony Rowe on his CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to rugby and the city’s community – another very well deserved accolade to go with his OBE received in 2012 for his services to business, sport and charity.

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home comforts can help put chiefs in right spot

SCRUM-HALF EXPECTS BIG CHIEFS RESPONSE

If he had his way, Sam Maunder would happily have taken to the field on Sunday, such was his frustration at events that had unfolded just 24 hours earlier at Saracens.

In what was a disappointing conclusion to 2022 for Maunder and the Exeter Chiefs, the 35-3 drubbing at the StoneX Stadium meant New Year’s celebrations were distinctly mooted as the Devonians made their way back from the nation’s capital.

Come Monday, however, the chance to put things right was already well in progress as the Chiefs did a thorough dissection of their ‘video nasty’ before quickly switching their attentions to today’s visit of Northampton Saints in the Gallagher Premiership. This afternoon’s clash marks the first of four home fixtures in the next five weeks for Rob Baxter’s side. It is - according to the Chiefs’ Director of Rugby - a defining period in the club’s season and that message has been spelt out to the squad throughout this week. Like Baxter, Maunder acknowledges the importance of the block, starting with the visit of the Saints today.

“Last week was tough and as players we took it pretty personally,” said Maunder. “Saracens is always a tough place to go, but we just didn’t perform on the day. Looking back, we learned a lot from it, not just the way they played, but they way they operated and the way they went about different things.

“The coaches had their say this week, but they then flipped things on its head and outlined how we can learn from the game and how we can look to move forward. From a personal point of view, I wanted to play the next day. I wanted to put right the wrongs.

“Now, we’ve got a chance to put things right with Northampton coming here at the weekend. It’s a massive game, not just for us, but for them as well. It’s our chance to get things back on track and put ourselves right back in the competition.”

Whilst Baxter and head coach Ali Hepher faced the media in the aftermath of last week’s performance, Maunder said internally the Chiefs themselves looked from within to address certain issues that arose from the game.

SAM MAUNDER

“That was the key message in the players’ meeting at the start of the week,” added Maunder. “We had a pretty honest chat with ourselves and training this week has been good. You could see we’ve made strides and now we want to put that into practice and get a result at the weekend.”

Maunder will line-up in a Chiefs side, which shows a number of changes from the Saracens game. Up front there are returns for Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jack Dunne, Dave Ewers and Sam Simmonds, while on the bench there is a return for the first time in weeks of his brother, Jack.

“It’s good to see him back,” added Maunder. “We’ve got a great group of nines here at the club, all of whom are supporting each other and looking to get the best out of one another all the time. Obviously, I have that family link with Jack, but we’re also deeply competitive in terms of wanting to play.

“Personally, the past 12 months have been really good for me. Towards the latter stage of the year I’ve been playing more regularly, which is what I want, but I need to keep building and developing my game.

“We’ve got a young squad here at the club and days like last week are going to happen every now and then. It’s how we react to them and what we learn that will be the difference. Equally, we’ve got those senior guys in the squad, some of whom are leaving at the end of the season, who can really help guys like myself.

“As a group, we all want to do well and it would be awesome if we could send those guys off with some great victories and some great memories. Right now, everything is still in play and we’re not down by any means. We have the players who want to win and that’s going to be our aim each week.”

WHO WE ARE

The Exeter Chiefs Foundation is a charity that exists with the sole aim of helping other charities.

All of the money we raise is donated to worthy causes in and around the city with a focus on supporting ‘tangible’ investments.

These have included funding building and renovation works, the installation of play equipment, and assistance with buying a large number of vehicles, ranging from minibuses to a boat for the Topsham Sea Scout Group.

Founded by club Chairman Tony Rowe OBE, the team of trustees is drawn from the Chiefs board of directors and the business community.

As well as deciding on how the charity’s money is shared, the trustees organise a number of fundraising events each year including the prestigious Devon Sports Awards, as well as pre-season and end of season gala dinners.

All charities in the greater Exeter area are able to apply for funds, either from an annual designated pot of money, or one-off donations (see more below).

The amounts awarded by the trustees range from a few hundred pounds, to a record £50,000 which was matched by the Exeter Summer Property Ball Committee and presented to Hospiscare to pay for the vital refurbishment of a 12-bed ward at Searle House in Exeter.

To date the Foundation has raised £2m.

OUR MISSION

“We are a fundraising organisation committed to improving the prosperity of the communities we serve by making donations that make people’s lives better.”

HOW THE CHARITY WORKS

The Exeter Chiefs Foundation raises funds in two ways:

1) Designated funds: This is the money generated on Exeter Chiefs match days through bucket donations and car parking. Each season we ‘adopt’ 20 charities who help to collect spare change and notes. At the end of the fundraising year, the cash is shared with our designated charities at a celebratory dinner. The list of charities is reviewed by the trustees annually.

2) Undesignated funds: These are funds that are generated by friends and supporters of the charity or any non-match related events organised by the Foundation. This money goes into a separate pot that any charity or organisation can apply for, at any time.

In January 2019, the Foundation received a record £350,000 non-designated donation following the fine imposed on Saracens after being found guilty of breaching the league’s stringent salary cap regulations. The Chiefs board of directors voted unanimously to hand over the club’s share of money.

DESIGNATED CHARITIES

CHARITIES SET TO BENEFIT FROM EXETER CHIEFS FOUNDATION THIS SEASON

ARE CONFIRMED

Charities across Exeter and its surrounding area are set to benefit from the fundraising efforts of the Exeter Chiefs Foundation during the course of the 2022/23 season.

Established back in 2011 by the Exeter Chiefs and a selected group of local businessmen to help promote the local community and the vision of people who work there, the Exeter Chiefs Foundation has helped to not only transform the lives of many local people in need, but has helped to deliver significant investment to charities and organisations in need.

With over £2.5 million raised since its inception, the Exeter Foundation has helped to directly fund over 150 charities and organisations, including the designated charities selected each year and several other projects and schemes.

Last season close to £200,000 was raised and distributed by the Exeter Chiefs Foundation, helping to change lives and improve standards and facilities for so many different people.

During the 2022/23 season, a total of 32 charities – Age UK Exeter, Balloons, Brain Tumour Support, Children’s Hospice South West, Community Equality Disability Action, Dartmoor Search & Rescue, Devon Air

Ambulance, Devon Rape and Sexual Abuse Services, Dream-A-Way, Exeter & East Devon Motor Neurone Disease Association, Exeter Athletic RFC, Exeter Community Initiatives, Exeter Dementia Action Alliance, Exeter Chiefs DSA, Exeter Food Action, Exeter Leukemia Fund, Exeter Lions Club, Force Cancer Charity, Freedomwheelers, Its In The Bag Cancer Support, Jay’s Aim, Living Options Devon, RAMM, RD&E NHS Trust, Royal Marines Charity, See The Future, South West MS Centre, Stanley Beau Foundation, Vranch House, Westcountry Hawks Wheelchair Rugby, Wooden Spoon Devon and Yoga for the Front Line – will all benefit from fundraising events and dinners across the year, together with collections at all Sandy Park match-days. Exeter Foundation chairman, Tony Rowe OBE, said: “Every year we are seeing the Foundation grow in stature. The work it has done for all the charities since we launched it all those years has been simply fantastic.

“We know from speaking to all the charities involved that the funds we raise really do make a difference in so many ways.”

SEPT 17 15:00 A DMP SHARKS W 0-73 300 BUCHANAN WOODMAN McGILLIVRAY McGOVERNE DERERA ROBINSON BRADLEY 24 15:00 H WORCESTER WARRIORS L 21-23 4,112 BUCHANAN WOODMAN McGILLIVRAY McGOVERNE DERERA ROBINSON BRADLEY OCT 15 14:00 A GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY W 20-24 350 DOIDGE WOODMAN LANGFORD McGILLIVRAY BUCHANAN McGOVERNE ROBINSON 22 15:00 H HARLEQUINS W 19-11 1,851 DOIDGE BUCHANAN LANGFORD McGILLIVRAY DERERA McGOVERNE BRADLEY NOV 19 15:00 H GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY L 17-25 1,156 DOIDGE OUNSLEY PREECE LANGFORD BUCHANAN McGOVERNE ROBINSON 26 12:00 A DMP SHARKS W 0-95 300 DOIDGE OUNSLEY PREECE CANTORNA BUCHANAN McGOVERNE ROBINSON DEC 3 15:00 H WORCESTER WARRIORS W 62-18 623 DOIDGE WOODMAN ZACKARY CANTORNA BUCHANAN McGOVERNE ROBINSON 10 12:30

SINCLAIR McGOVERNE

ROBERTS MOLONEY GRIMES FRYDAY WILLETT JEFFERIES LEITCH ALLEN NIELSON MUZAMBE HANLON ORCHARD HARTLEY McMAHON LANGFORD PREECE ROBERTS MOLONEY HANLON FRYDAY WILLETT JEFFERIES LEITCH ALLEN NIELSON MUZAMBE GRIMES HAYES McMAHON LANGFORD PREECE DOIDGE

ROBINSON MIDDLEBROOKE MOLONEY HANLON FRYDAY LEITCH JEFFERIES McMAHON ALLEN NIELSON ROBERTS GRIMES ORCHARD V-D VELDEN BRADLEY DERERA GOWER MIDDLEBROOKE MOLONEY HANLON FRYDAY LEITCH JEFFERIES McMAHON ALLEN NIELSON MUZAMBE GRIMES V-D VELDEN ORCHARD ROBINSON GOWER WALKER

ROBINSON MIDDLEBROOKE NIELSON HANLON FRYDAY LEITCH JEFFERIES ALLEN V-D VELDEN MOLONEY MUZAMBE GRIMES ORCHARD FLEMING McDONALD CANTORNA WOODMAN

ROBINSON MUZAMBE NIELSON HANLON FRYDAY FLEMING JEFFERIES LEITCH ALLEN MOLONEY TURANI JACOBY V-D VELDEN JOHNSON McDONALD WILKINS WOODMAN

ROBINSON TURANI NIELSON HANLON FRYDAY LEITCH JEFFERIES ALLEN V-D VELDEN MOLONEY MUZAMBE JACOBY FLEMING JOHNSON BRADLEY WILKINS PREECE

ROBINSON ROGERS MOLONEY MENIN FRYDAY LEITCH JEFFERIES ALLEN JOHNSON TUTTOSI TURANI JACOBY FLEMING McMAHON BRADLEY WILKINS SINCLAIR

ROBINSON ROGERS MOLONEY MENIN FRYDAY LEITCH JEFFERIES ALLEN JOHNSON TUTTOSI TURANI JACOBY FLEMING McMAHON BRADLEY WILKINS CRAMER

KATE ZACKARY

SUSIE APPLEBY HEAD COACH STEVE SALVIN ASSISTANT COACH

CROUCH, BIND, SET

kick-off 2023 in style by signing up for our february half-term camps

Kick-off 2023 in style by signing your child up for one of our Train Like A Chief camps, which will be held across the region during the February half-term.

Developed and designed by our team of professional coaches, using the most up to date techniques, our rugby camps aim to offer young people the best possible experience and insight into the modern-day game.

Campers will not only learn the basic elements of the game, but at the same time improve their skill set in a range of activities and match-like scenarios. The key focus for the Chiefs’ Community team is on encouraging and inspiring young players to become the best they can be and to reach their full potential.

The camps are supported by our professional coaching staff, who will use their experiences to pass on top tips and training techniques. So who better to learn from? Regardless of age or ability, there is a course to suit everyone.

In February, we have two different one-day courses in Cornwall and two one-day courses in Devon. Priced at £36 per camp, children aged between 6-13 will get the opportunity to experience what rugby life is all about at a top Gallagher Premiership club. Also each participant will receive a Community Chiefs branded item which will be different at every half term period.

To book your place, visit the Train Like a Chief section on the club’s official website: www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/community/community-camps