Latest news with #RobBaxter
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former Exeter flanker Ewers retires aged 34
Dave Ewers is regarded as one of the key players during Exeter's trophy-winning years [Getty Images] Former Exeter flanker Dave Ewers has retired from rugby union. The 34-year-old came up through Exeter's academy ranks and was a key part of the side that reached six consecutive Premiership finals and won the 2020 European Champions Cup. Advertisement Injury kept him out of Exeter's 2017 Premiership final win over Wasps, but he started in their 2020 final victory against the same opponents having also started the Champions Cup final the week before. Ewers was called up to the England squad in February 2016, but a series of injuries meant he never went on to win an England cap. He made 226 Exeter appearances and scored 40 tries before joining Ulster in the summer of 2023. One Dave Ewers' greatest moments came when he helped Exeter win the European Champions Cup in 2020 [Rex Features] The Zimbabwe-born forward has spent the past season playing for Cape Town-based side Stormers in the United Rugby Championship where he played nine times. "Thank you to Rob (Baxter, Exeter director of rugby) and everyone involved at Exeter for giving me the opportunity all those years ago, was a special journey going from the Championship to winning the double in 2020," Ewers said on social media as he announced his retirement. Advertisement "To all the boys, thank you for all the memories, I feel nothing but blessed to have experienced everything along the way with you all, on and off the pitch. "We shared some incredible memories that I will never forget. "A special mention to all the backroom staff of everywhere I've been, and especially Exeter where I had all my injuries. Thank you for getting me back on the pitch. "To all the fans, near and far, thank you for all the support over the years, it's meant a lot to me."
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Former Exeter flanker Ewers retires aged 34
Former Exeter flanker Dave Ewers has retired from rugby 34-year-old came up through Exeter's academy ranks and was a key part of the side that reached six consecutive Premiership finals and won the 2020 European Champions Cup. Injury kept him out of Exeter's 2017 Premiership final win over Wasps, but he started in their 2020 final victory against the same opponents having also started the Champions Cup final the week was called up to the England squad in February 2016, but a series of injuries meant he never went on to win an England made 226 Exeter appearances and scored 40 tries before joining Ulster in the summer of 2023. The Zimbabwe-born forward has spent the past season playing for Cape Town-based side Stormers in the United Rugby Championship where he played nine times. "Thank you to Rob (Baxter, Exeter director of rugby) and everyone involved at Exeter for giving me the opportunity all those years ago, was a special journey going from the Championship to winning the double in 2020," Ewers said on social media as he announced his retirement., external"To all the boys, thank you for all the memories, I feel nothing but blessed to have experienced everything along the way with you all, on and off the pitch."We shared some incredible memories that I will never forget. "A special mention to all the backroom staff of everywhere I've been, and especially Exeter where I had all my injuries. Thank you for getting me back on the pitch. "To all the fans, near and far, thank you for all the support over the years, it's meant a lot to me."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Baxter writes off Exeter's worst-ever season
Rob Baxter has been in charge of Exeter since 2009, leading Premiership and European titles [Getty Images] Exeter boss Rob Baxter says he will not refer to his side's worst-ever season again. The Chiefs' lost 30-26 at home to third-placed Sale in their final Premiership game of the season. The loss - which was an improved performance on some games this season - saw Exeter end in a club-worst ninth position in the top flight after just four wins all season. Advertisement It ends a difficult campaign for Exeter which has seen the club dispense with three coaches and suffer a record 79-17 loss at Gloucester a month ago. "I'm not going to refer to this season at all," Baxter told BBC Sport when asked about his plans for the next campaign. "What I'm going to refer to is my expectations of them going forward. "All I've referred to in the last three or four weeks is that my expectations of them are higher than their expectations of themselves are. "I'm not going to lower my expectations, so they have to raise theirs, and if they catch up with me they'll be winning trophies and they'll be winning in Europe and they'll be doing all the things that they could do." Advertisement Baxter has taken a more hands-on role coaching the side since long-serving assistants Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher were dismissed after the defeat at Gloucester. That loss was the nadir of a season which saw Exeter lose all four of their European games and win just four league matches - two of them against Saracens and Northampton who were without many of their international stars. But in recent weeks Exeter have improved and had chances to win the game, against a Sale side who knew victory would secure a fourth play-off campaign in the past five seasons. "A lot of teams need a dedicated start point - that Gloucester game was a dedicated start point for us," Baxter added. Advertisement "No player can come into my office when I'm talking to them and go 'everything was fine, I don't know why we're reacting'. "You need that sometimes, you don't need anybody having any second doubts that what's on the field isn't good enough. "We had that and now things are changing, and you can feel a change. But I think we probably needed that and we needed someone to go 'this is not good enough, things have to change' and that's what's happened."
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Baxter writes off Exeter's worst-ever season
Exeter boss Rob Baxter says he will not refer to his side's worst-ever season Chiefs' lost 30-26 at home to third-placed Sale in their final Premiership game of the loss - which was an improved performance on some games this season - saw Exeter end in a club-worst ninth position in the top flight after just four wins all ends a difficult campaign for Exeter which has seen the club dispense with three coaches and suffer a record 79-17 loss at Gloucester a month ago."I'm not going to refer to this season at all," Baxter told BBC Sport when asked about his plans for the next campaign."What I'm going to refer to is my expectations of them going forward."All I've referred to in the last three or four weeks is that my expectations of them are higher than their expectations of themselves are."I'm not going to lower my expectations, so they have to raise theirs, and if they catch up with me they'll be winning trophies and they'll be winning in Europe and they'll be doing all the things that they could do." Baxter has taken a more hands-on role coaching the side since long-serving assistants Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher were dismissed after the defeat at loss was the nadir of a season which saw Exeter lose all four of their European games and win just four league matches - two of them against Saracens and Northampton who were without many of their international stars. But in recent weeks Exeter have improved and had chances to win the game, against a Sale side who knew victory would secure a fourth play-off campaign in the past five seasons. "A lot of teams need a dedicated start point - that Gloucester game was a dedicated start point for us," Baxter added."No player can come into my office when I'm talking to them and go 'everything was fine, I don't know why we're reacting'."You need that sometimes, you don't need anybody having any second doubts that what's on the field isn't good enough."We had that and now things are changing, and you can feel a change. But I think we probably needed that and we needed someone to go 'this is not good enough, things have to change' and that's what's happened."
BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Dunne and Molina among Exeter departures
Locks Jack Dunne and Franco Molina are to leave Exeter at the end of the forward Dunne, 26, has spent the past three seasons at Sandy Park after joining from has played 41games for the club but has struggled to establish himself in the past two seasons, starting just four Premiership games since the summer of Molina, 27, moved to Exeter in October after injuries to second rows like Dafydd Jenkins and Lewis Pearson and went on to appear in 16 games in all competitions this Hallam Chapman and scrum-half Niall Armstrong will also leave the club at the end of their current deals this summer, while Irish forward Eoin O'Connor will retire, having not played a first-team game since joining in means a total of 15 members of the squad will depart the club at the end of this season, including experienced players such as Dan Frost, Jacques Vermeulen and Stu Townsend. "I'd like to thank all the players leaving us for being a part of the Chiefs journey," director of rugby Rob Baxter said."They have all contributed to our environment and I know I speak for everyone at the club when I say that we wish them all the very best in the future."
