Harris to become a Chief

Exeter Chiefs have signed Bath Rugby full-back / fly-half Sam Harris on a two-year deal from the 2026/27 season.

The 22-year-old has made 14 senior appearances for Bath having graduated from the University of Bath with a sport and exercise science degree.

Harris said: “I’m really excited to be joining Exeter Chiefs. It’s a club with a strong identity, an amazing fan base and a record of competing at the highest level.

“After speaking with the coaches, I felt this was the right environment for a fresh start. I enjoy the style of rugby Exeter plays, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the team’s ambitions in the coming seasons.

“I’m excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to get started with the boys.”

An alumnus of Bath’s affiliated school, Millfield School, Harris progressed into the player pathway at the university while he represented Bath U18s. In the summer of 2022, opportunity came calling when the youngster was called up to the senior Academy squad.

Harris made his Bath Rugby debut in the 2022/23 PREM Rugby Cup and by the end of the season, his performances had earned him the club’s Breakthrough Player of the Year award.

A Gallagher PREM debut start followed the next season as the back, who can adapt to playing either full-back or fly-half, lined up against Leicester Tigers in a New Years’ Eve clash.

An England player at U18s, U19s and U20s age grades, Harris’s more recent campaigns have been marred by injuries. However, he is ready to leave those tough days behind him and hit the ground running with Chiefs next season.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “We’ve had a good look at Sam for a while now. He’s a guy who has had an impressive career trajectory from the Bath Rugby academy into the England U20s and then into the Bath first team.

“He’s had the misfortune of having back-to-back injuries, which are now all just about sorted out. So, we’re expecting an awful lot of him in the future.

“Sam is one of those guys who has exceptional talent, so we’re hoping that we can get him a period of being injury-free and help his development into more senior rugby.

“He’s got some real strengths in his game. His ball-playing ability as second receiver, having played a lot in the fly-half position, is impressive. He’s got very good speed, is very evasive and good in the air. He’s one of those guys we think can potentially come through and grow into a very good rugby player, and we hope that’s something we can help him achieve here at Exeter.”