Chiefs agree Haydon-Wood move
By Mark Stevens
3/4/23
Rob Baxter’s squad strengthening at Exeter Chiefs is gathering pace after the Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby today confirmed a third new faces to his playing ranks for next season.
Heading to Sandy Park ahead of the 2023/24 season is former Newcastle Falcons and Wasps fly-half, Will Haydon-Wood, who will join the Gallagher Premiership club from French Pro D2 side, Massy Esonne.
The 22-year-old playmaker is no strange to English rugby’s top-flight and his addition is another boost for the Chiefs, who have already confirmed the arrivals of Joe Hawkins and Ethan Roots from the Ospreys.
“It’s a really exciting move for me,” said the former England Under-20s international. “Obviously, I’ve come up against the Chiefs in the past and I know how much of a force they have become, not just within the English game, but also across Europe as well.
“Talking with Rob [Baxter] he’s outlined the vision of the club and how they are in the process of building a new and exciting, young squad. Listening to what he had to say and with the players they have at the club, it was a pretty easy decision in the end.”
Having started this season at Wasps following a number of years at the Falcons, Haydon-Wood was forced to look for new employment last October when the Midlands club were forced to withdraw from all competitions following the collapse of the former English and European champions.
Like many, Haydon-Wood found new employment across the English Channel with Massy. However, the lure of returning to the Premiership was a key factor in him deciding to make his switch to the Chiefs.
“Coming back to the Premiership was a big draw for sure,” he added. “When I heard Exeter were interested and then chatting with Rob, I knew it was a move I had to make. The history of the Chiefs, especially where they have come from in such a short space of time, it’s an amazing rugby story.
“You can see that they are working on a new project, based a lot around young players, and I wanted to be part of that. They’ve got a talented young group at the club and I want to be part of what I hope will be successful times ahead.”
Haydon-Wood’s arrival certainly fits the bill in terms of Baxter’s future planning and the Chiefs boss is delighted to welcome the player to Sandy Park next term.
“Like with a lot of our new guys, we are looking for quality, young players who we believe can help take the club forward,” said Baxter. “Will is someone that we have looked at closely and I like a lot of things within his game. The fact he has played in the Premiership previously, particularly with Newcastle, means he knows what the league is all about.
“Again, there are areas we feel that we can work on and develop within his game, but a lot of the overall package is pretty good and that is what we want. He’s someone who I believe can add genuine quality to the squad and who I feel can make a big impact.”