Big new signing for Exeter Chiefs

The Exeter Chiefs have made their first new signing ahead of the 2018 to 19 season.

The Wales and British & Irish Lions international, 27 year old Alex Cuthbert has agreed a three-year deal.

He's got 47 Test caps to his name and scored a try for the Lions in Australia back in 2013.

Director of Rugby Rob Baxter said: “We have actually been looking at Alex for a few years. Initially we looked at him when he was first breaking into top flight rugby, and he’s someone who we have been tracking for some time.  At this stage, he is a player who is looking for a new challenge and that’s the important thing to us. 

“You look at his attributes, he’s a big guy, 6ft 6in, well over 100 kilos, he’s quick and he’s big, and if you watch a number of his games, you can see some attributes in there that make him a very good and very dangerous player, and we actually think a lot of his top attributes will really work at Exeter Chiefs. 

“Sitting down and talking with him, I like what he has to say about the new challenges he wants and the things he still wants to achieve in rugby. The fact we have seen attributes in his game we know will work well for us, made it a simple decision in the end for us to go out and sign Alex.”

Having spent all of his senior career playing in Wales, Cuthbert’s arrival in the Premiership will certainly be considered as a major coup for the Chiefs, who currently lead English rugby’s top flight after 18 rounds of their title defence.