Five Red Roses among contract extensions for Chiefs

All five of Exeter Chiefs’ Red Roses have extended their contracts with the club.

Rugby World Cup champions Maddie Feaunati and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald will be back for extra Chiefs time next season along with Maisy Allen, and sisters Emily and Flo Robinson.

Other internationals who have put pen to paper include Francesca Granzotto, DaLeaka Menin, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Hope Rogers, Amy Rule, Eilidh Sinclair, Alex Tessier and Linde van der Velden.

Chiefs Women’s third centurion Merryn Elworthy has also committed her future to Chiefs along with flanker Taz Bricknell, who is looking to make her return from knee surgery this season, hooker Sofia Bekir Fuente and scrum-halves Lucy Nye and Sammy Wong.

Gabby Cantorna, Nancy McGillivray, Liv McGoverne, Demi Swann and Dorothy Wall were all on existing contracts.

Chiefs’ generation of younger players of Naomi Brennan, Katie Buchanan, Zoë Dare, Sammie Harries, Eleanor Hing, Sophie Langford, Gabriella Nigrelli, Danielle Preece, Kayleigh Priest, Hannah Sams, Kate Smith, Alessia Skeates and Lola Whitley will also be looking for more game time in the 2026/27 season. Langford will head to Japan for several months before returning to Sandy Park in March 2027.

Head coach Oli Bishop said: "Last season, we looked to evolve our identity on and off the pitch, allowing the players to showcase rugby that represents them and this club. We made huge progress through the season in this regard. For us it was important to look to retain the vast majority of our squad to continue this evolution this coming season.

"We have some extremely talented internationals and long-serving Chief players that are at the core of what we do. We also have an exciting group of young players that developed brilliantly last season and we are excited to see them progress again this coming season. With some specific new signings, we look to continue to be a competitive team working for a top four spot and, hopefully, a home semi-final."

New players to the squad the 2026/27 season are: Maisie Davies, Honey Kerslake, Lizzie Lander, Carys Philips, Shya Pinnock, Tilly Ryall and Deborah Wills. U23s transition contract players Amelia Lamborn, Izzy Newnes-Smith, Lilly Plowman, Frankie Welsher and Ellie Wood are also part of the 48-player squad.