Ollie Devoto

England international Ollie Devoto was one of a handful of new recruits brought to Sandy Park ahead of the 2016/17 season, joining the Chiefs from Westcountry rivals Bath Rugby.

The centre initially started his rugby career as a seven-year-old at Sherborne RFC, emerging through their youth section before he was signed by the Bath Academy at the age of 16.

An injury crisis during the 2012/13 season amongst Bath’s back division saw him promoted into the first-team squad, and he made his first team debut as a replacement in a Premiership match against Wasps in September 2012.

Already on the England radar at age grade level, Devoto was part and parcel of the highly successful Under 20s side - which included the likes of Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Sam Hill, Alec Hepburn and Luke Cowan-Dickie - that lifted the Junior World Championships in France.

On the club scene, Devoto continued to forge himself quite a reputation in Bath colours over the next few years, even featuring in their Premiership Final against Saracens at Twickenham in 2015.

Devoto would spend another season at the Recreation Ground before he decided on a change of scenery, agreeing terms with Chiefs in January 2016.

That summer Devoto linked up with a number of his new clubmates on an England Saxons tour to South Africa, after which he moved to Sandy Park and was a key figure in helping the Chiefs to record a first-ever Premiership title in May 2017.

Since helping the Chiefs lift that maiden title, Devoto has established himself as an integral part of the Exeter first-team squad, helping the squad to reach four further Premiership finals, including helping the Devon club to lift their second title with victory over Wasps in October 2020.

That success came just a week after Devoto was involved in the Exeter side that lifted the Heineken Champions Cup with victory over Racing 92 at Ashton Gate.

On the international scene, the hard-running centre made his first England appearance in the summer of 2016 when he came off the bench to face Wales at Twickenham Stadium, but he would have to wait until February 2020 before he would feature again, this time coming off the bench for Eddie Jones' side in their Six Nations defeat to France in Paris.

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