All Blacks and Crusaders centre McLeod signs for Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs have signed All Blacks and Crusaders centre Dallas McLeod on a three-year deal from the 2026/27 season.

McLeod has more than 50 appearances for the Crusaders but will make the switch to the Gallagher PREM at the end of 2026.

McLeod said: “I’m really excited for the opportunity to come and play for the Exeter Chiefs.

“I’ve always followed rugby in the northern hemisphere, particularly the PREM, and I really admire the way Exeter play the game.

“I cannot wait to meet all my new teammates, the coaches and the fans at Sandy Park. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in as soon as possible.”

Raised in Christchurch, McLeod started his rugby journey at Christ’s College before progressing into the Canterbury U19s side, helping them reach the final of the Jack Hobbs Memorial Tournament. McLeod picked up the honour of U19s player of the year for Canterbury in the same season.

Starting his senior career with Christchurch Rugby Club, McLeod quickly progressed to playing for Canterbury in the Mitre 10 Cup in 2019. By the next calendar year, he had earned his place in the 2020 Crusaders squad, debuting against Queensland Reds at the Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch.

In the five seasons that followed, McLeod became a dependable Crusaders midfielder, making more than 50 appearances and scoring eight tries. With a solid set of ball skills and a strong running game, McLeod can also adapt well to standing strong in the defensive line.

The 26-year-old’s success in Super Rugby caught the eye of international selectors and McLeod was given his All Blacks debut in the 2023 Bledisloe Cup against the Wallabies in Dunedin. More recently, he played against his future Chiefs teammates in the All Blacks XV match-up against England A at the Recreation Ground.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “Dallas is a really important signing for us. We’ve known that Len Ikitau would be returning to Australia and with Will Rigg also leaving at the end of the season, centre is an area we’ve been looking to strengthen.

“We’ve also got Will Butt coming on board, but I think Dallas really rounds off what we can do with our midfield group.

“He’s a very experienced player playing in a very good, very consistently high performing team in New Zealand. He’s still a player in his prime, someone who looks very consistent with high accuracy in his game.

“We see him as a really important part of our jigsaw puzzle going forward. We’re expecting an awful lot from him and from the group. With him joining Will Butt and Henry Slade as well as the young centres we’ve seen emerging recently in the PREM Rugby Cup, we feel we’re developing a strong group of midfielders. Hopefully, they’ll all be part of the push of us achieving things in the future.”