New contract for young prop Burger

Exeter Chiefs prop Ethan Burger has signed a new deal with the club ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Burger joined the Chiefs pack at the outset of the 2024/25 season, biding his time before making his debut against Bristol Bears in the Gallagher PREM in October 2025.

Burger said: “It was an easy decision to stay, I think we’re building something really special here at Chiefs, which I’m grateful to be a part of.

“The support and backing we get from our fans is unmatched. I’d love to be a part of giving back to them by securing results that we as a club strive for.

“I’ve already learned so much, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. I’m excited to see how I can push on from here as an individual player and as part of this squad.”

The South African front-rower first caught the eye of Chiefs’ forwards coach Ross McMillan while he was playing rugby for the University of Pretoria side, Tuks Rugby.

His performances for his school also caught the eye of the Blue Bulls coaches who included Burger in their U21s squad for the 2020 season.

However, the leap of faith of a move to Devon was the 25-year-old’s first true exposure to a senior rugby environment and it is one which the Chiefs’ coaching staff believe has truly paid dividends.

Director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “Ethan is a young, dynamic and powerful prop forward, who is clearly improving with each minute he spends on the field.

“We see it with his training too, as he matures into a more experienced player. I think he’s got a very bright future and that he’ll be one of those guys who we involve more and more in the coming seasons.

“He’s got the best balance of a modern loosehead where his set-piece is developing all the time but then he genuinely can move and get on the ball to be a dynamic ball-carrier. We see an awfully bright future for him.”