Tom O'Flaherty

Described by Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter as a player with "bags of potential", Tom O'Flaherty joined the Devon club in the summer of 2017 from the Ospreys.

With pace to burn, fancy footwork and an ability to spot an opening, the talented young winger certainly offers something a little bit different to the Chiefs mix.

O’Flaherty grew up in London and played his rugby for Dulwich College and then Blackheath before moving to Wales to study at Cardiff University.

After making his mark in college level, he got his chance with Cardiff RFC towards the end of 2013 and turned out for them four times, scoring four tries. Then came a move to Bridgend, where he was to become a firm favourite, touching down 18 times during 25 appearances in the 2014-15 season.

That campaign culminated in the Ravens lifting the SWALEC Cup, with O’Flaherty claiming the match-winning try against Pontypridd in the final at the Principality Stadium.

He spent a period of time in France, combining a university placement with a stint in the rugby academy of French Top 14 side Montpellier, but returned to Wales for the final year of his studies, taking up joint registration with Bridgend and the Ospreys.

After debuting for the Ospreys against Harlequins in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, he had further outings against Cardiff Blues and Glasgow and also came off the bench versus Bristol on his familiar Brewery Field stamping ground. 

Although O'Flaherty initially had to bide his time to get into the first-team ranks at the Chiefs, now he's firmly up and running with the Devon club, whom he helped to seal a historic double last season.