Latest news with #SandyPark
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Canada international Grant pulls out of Exeter move
Canada international Maddy Grant has opted not to join Exeter for the forthcoming Premiership Women's Rugby 24-year-old had agreed to move to Sandy Park in June, having previously played for the club said Grant - who featured at the last World Cup and played in Canada's semi-final loss to England - was remaining in her homeland for "personal reasons". "We respect Maddy's decision and wish her all the best," newly appointed Exeter head coach Steve Salvin told the club website."We were very excited about her joining us but also understand when a player just needs a bit of time out. "We all wish Maddy well and hope we see her back on a rugby field very soon."
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Gareth Steenson has eyes only for World Cup role with Ireland
Gareth Steenson is blocking out all talk of what comes next for him in order to concentrate on his role with an Ireland women's senior team just weeks out from its first pool game at the 2025 Rugby World Cup. The former Ireland U21 and Exeter Chiefs out-half has been working with Scott Bemand's squad for a year now in a role as kicking coach, but the IRFU has since appointed a certain Jonathan Sexton to a similar brief. Sexton's contract with the Irish union kicked in on August 1st, at which point he was still in Australia working with Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions, but the Leinster legend is about to take over a large brief now that he is back on home soil. The IRFU has itself labelled it an 'expanded coaching role' from the part-time job he was doing last season with Sexton slated to work with the various men's and women's national grade teams up to senior levels. 'My future is I'm going to the World Cup so post-that it will be a matter of seeing where we are really,' said Steenson. 'When I moved back home a year ago I was very lucky to come in and work with the pathway, work with the sevens right across that kicking regime. 'I've been very lucky since the Six Nations, doing a little bit more with the backs, a bit more work in that area, looking to strike plays and stuff like that. I've been very fortunate to be part of the growth piece as well so it's been really exciting. I've loved it. 'All the focus has been really getting to this World Cup. Now we know that we are on the brink of it, it's very exciting.' Steenson has come to his current chapter via a long association with Exeter Chiefs with whom he won a second-tier Championship title and then two Premierships and a Champions Cup to boot. In all, he spent 13 years at Sandy Park. So successful was he at the English club that he was awarded the status of freeman of the city of Exeter a few years ago, following on from such luminaries as Chiefs boss and legend Rob Baxter and Admiral Horatio Nelson. Steenson has yet to graze any sheep on the common, or walk through the town with his sword, as the honour allows. Now back living on this side of the water, there is the carrot of returning to Sandy Park for a World Cup quarter-final next month. Advance from Pool C, either as winners or as runners-up, and Ireland will play their quarter-final at the stadium he called home for so long. Beat Japan and Spain in their first two games and they will make it that far regardless of events third day out against New Zealand. 'Well, it would be fantastic,' said Steenson. 'First of all, get to the quarter-final. We've got to respect what we've got to do. We've got to make sure we get those first couple of games. I know it's a cliché, but we've got to get those games. 'We've got to rock up well, play well this weekend (in the warm-up game) against Canada to give us confidence going into that competition. For me personally it would be fantastic to go back. I know that there is a lot of excitement already. 'I was back in Exeter three weeks ago and there's a real energy around the World Cup. To go back with the green jersey would be very exciting, even better if we win. Even so we've got a lot of work to do.' Steenson never got to play senior rugby for Ireland. He did go to two World Cups at what was then U21 level, and he was a key player in a team including Jamie Heaslip and Tomas O'Leary that reached the World Championship final at the grade in 2004. Coaching may not hit with the same punch as playing for most people, but the 41-year old is still thrilled at the chance to play a part for Ireland at a senior equivalent and on the back of a club career that delivered so much. 'For me, it just was the journey that I took, the journey I had at Exeter chiefs. Would I have changed it for one or two caps? Well, I was quite happy how I finished with a double but, yeah, I've always wanted to be involved.'
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Forward Moloney signs new Exeter contract
Exeter back row Martin Moloney has signed a new contract with the Premiership 25-year-old Irishman moved to Sandy Park from Leinster last summer after a trial period in has gone on to play 15 times in all competitions, scoring three have not disclosed the length of Moloney's new deal."He was a player of growing importance across the season, and I think he was playing his best rugby for us towards the end of the campaign where he really showed his value," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told the club website."He had some great impacts in our final set of games in particular. "He's a guy who works exceptionally hard. He had quite a long period out of the game with little rugby, due to injury, but I think we're really starting to see him thrive now."He's one of the guys we expect to continue to get better and better over an extended period. He's the right age, the right experience level for us to keep improving."
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sale hang on to beat Exeter and reach play-offs
Bevan Rodd (left) scored his sixth try of the season as Sale made the play-offs for the fourth time in five years [Rex Features] Gallagher Premiership Exeter (5) 26 Tries: Brown-Bampoe, Hodge, Haydon-Wood, Capstick Cons: Hodge 3 Sale (20) 30 Tries: Ma'asi-White, Rodd, Cowan-Dickie Cons: Ford 3 Pens: Ford 3 Sale secured third place in the Premiership and a play-off semi-final at Leicester with a 30-26 victory over Exeter in a tense encounter at Sandy Park. Paul Brown-Bampoe's 20th-minute try briefly put the home side in front before Sale's superb attack kicked into gear as Rekeiti Ma'asi-White and Bevan Rodd went under the posts to help give Sharks a 20-5 lead at the break. Advertisement Josh Hodge pulled a try back for the hosts soon after the restart and, when Will Haydon-Wood cut the gap to four points Sale looked worried. Dan Frost had a fourth Exeter try disallowed for a knock on with 18 minutes left, but former Chiefs favourite Luke Cowan-Dickie forced his way over with 12 minutes left to seal victory for Sale. Richard Capstick got a fourth try for Exeter with three minutes left to set up a tense finish as the hosts ended the season with two losing bonus points. The win ensured Sale finish third in the table after second-placed Leicester beat bottom side Newcastle at home - ensuring a trip to Welford Road for the Sharks in next week's semi-finals. Advertisement An indisciplined start cost Exeter as George Ford kicked a first-minute penalty for Sale before they gave up possession a couple of metres from the Sharks line having had the better of the early play. Brown-Bampoe capped a flowing Exeter passing move to get the first try midway through the first half - although the unconverted score came at a cost as recently fit-again back Tommy Wyatt limped off having been hurt in the build-up. Ford's second penalty a minute later saw Sale retake the lead before Ma'asi-White capped off a superb passing sequence to go under the posts as Exeter struggled to defend against Sale's excellent offloading. It was more of the same eight minutes later as Rodd was the beneficiary after Ford and Arron Reed combined to create the gap for the Sale loose-head to score. Advertisement And it got worse for the home side when Ethan Roots was sin-binned shortly before the break for bringing down a maul, but despite being a man down they started the second half impressively. Exeter fightback falls just short Persistent pressure eventually told as Ma'asi-White was sin-binned after a number of penalties on the Sale line and soon after Hodge went over in the right corner as Exeter exploited the extra space. A third Ford penalty soon after calmed Sale's nerves with less than 30 minutes to play, but Haydon-Wood rounded off Exeter's best attacking move of the afternoon, Hodge and Henry Slade linked up to put the replacement over. Advertisement Exeter thought they had taken the lead five minutes later when Frost was forced over, but replays showed he had lost control off the ball as he dived over the line. Sale regained their composure and their double-digit advantage with 12 minutes to go as Cowan-Dickie forced his way over from close range. Sale missed out on a fourth try six minutes later when Gus Warr was sin-binned after replays showed a dangerous tackle in the build-up to a try from Reed, while from the resulting line-out penalty Exeter replacement Jimmy Roots was held up over the Sale line. But Exeter did get a fifth try when Capstick ran in after Slade and Tamati Tua combined. Advertisement Exeter: Hodge; Brown-Bampoe, Slade, Tua, Wyatt; Skinner, Townsend; Blose, Yeandle (capt), Iosefa-Scott, Tuima, Molina, Vermeulen, Capstick, Roots Replacements: Frost, Sio, Roots, Tshiunza, Moloney, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Vintcent Yellow card: Roots (39) Sale: Carpenter; O'Flaherty, R du Preez, Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Hill, J-L du Preez, B Curry (capt), D du Preez. Replacements: McElroy, McIntyre, John, Bamber, Dugdale, Warr, James, Wills. Yellow card: Ma'asi-White (47), Warr (74) Referee: Christophe Ridley
BBC News
31-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sale hang on to beat Exeter and reach play-offs
Gallagher PremiershipExeter (5) 26Tries: Brown-Bampoe, Hodge, Haydon-Wood, Capstick Cons: Hodge 3 Sale (20) 30Tries: Maasi-White, Rodd, Cowan-Dickie Cons: Ford 3 Pens: Ford 3 Sale secured third place in the Premiership and a play-off semi-final at Leicester with a 30-26 victory over Exeter in a tense encounter at Sandy Brown Bampoe's 20th-minute try briefly put the home side in front before Sale's superb attack kicked into gear as Rekeiti Maasi-White and Bevan Rodd went under the posts to give Sharks a 20-5 lead at the break. Josh Hodge pulled a try back for the hosts soon after the restart and, when Will Haydon-Wood cut the gap to four points Sale looked worried. Dan Frost had a fourth Exeter try disallowed for a knock on with 18 minutes left, but former Chiefs favourite Luke Cowan Dickie forced his way over with 12 minutes left to seal victory for Sale. Richard Capstick got a fourth try for Exeter with three minutes left to set up a tense finish as the hosts ended the season with two losing bonus win ensured Sale finish third in the table after second-placed Leicester beat bottom side Newcastle at home - ensuring a trip to Welford Road for the Sharks in next week's semi-finals. Exeter: Hodge; Brown-Bampoe, Slade, Tua, Wyatt; Skinner, Townsend; Blose, Yeandle (capt), Iosefa-Scott, Tuima, Molina, Vermeulen, Capstick, RootsReplacements: Frost, Sio, Roots, Tshiunza, Moloney, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, VintcentYellow card: Roots (39)Sale: Carpenter; O'Flaherty, R du Preez, Ma'asi-White Reed; Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, van Rhyn, Hill, J-L du Preez, B Curry (capt), D du McElroy, McIntyre, John, Bamber, Dugdale, Warr, James, card: Ma'asi-White (47), Warr (74)Referee: Christophe Ridley
