Josh Hodge says he’s ‘over the moon’ to have agreed a new long-term deal with the Exeter Chiefs, writes Mark Stevens.

The gifted full-back has pledged his future to the Devon club and believes an exciting period lies ahead for him and everyone at Sandy Park. 

Signed in the summer of 2020 from Gallagher Premiership rivals Newcastle Falcons, the 22-year-old has to date made 37 first-team appearances, scoring 39 points in all competitions. 

He is seen by many, including director of rugby Rob Baxter, as one of the crown jewels in Exeter’s exciting vision for the future, and news that he is staying put for the foreseeable future will be welcomed by everyone connected with the Chiefs. 

“To be honest, it wasn’t a hard decision to sign a new contract with this fantastic club,” said Hodge.

“Personally, I’m over the moon and I’m looking forward to my future here in the sunny county of Devon. 

“There has been a lot of effort, good business decisions and hard work, both in training and on the pitch, to achieve the results the club has achieved in recent years.” 

Alongside Hodge, the Chiefs are investing heavily in bringing through their next crop of young talent, such as Dafydd Jenkins, Christ Tshiunza, Marcus Street, Richard Capstick, Sam Maunder, Will Becconsall and Greg Fisilau to name but a few. 

“I’m looking forward to working with the team to help the club attain its rightful position towards the top of all the competitions we take part in and justify the efforts of past players and trainers,” added Hodge.

 “All the building blocks have been put in place by the board, backroom staff and coaches and it’s up to the team to work tirelessly to put the cherry on the cake and deliver the results the Chiefs and our fans deserve.” 

Baxter commented: “We started talking a while ago with Josh, but it didn’t take long for us – or him for that matter – to agree on things

“We had a good chat about where the playing group was going, including chatting about the boys who are leaving, but the key for both of us was that we wanted him to stay and to further develop his game with us. 

“We know Josh is hugely ambitious and that he wants to reach the very top end of the game. Our aim as a club and as coaches is to help him in every way to achieve his goals but, at the same time, build a new and exciting young group of players of which he can play a key part in that.” 

Hodge has shown already this season his growing emergence within the first-team ranks, appearing prominently for the Chiefs in both the Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup. 

“Anyone who watches us regularly will see just how much Josh has developed this season,” added Baxter.

“His decision-making, his game understanding and the effect he is having on each game he plays is growing all the time. With his age and his ability, the world really is his oyster as to where and how far he can go in the game.” 

The news that Hodge is hanging around Devon will certainly be welcomed by the Chiefs supporters, who in recent weeks have seen a number of the current frontline stars announce they are heading to pastures new next season.  

“Josh is exactly the right age to be here for the next ten years,” added Baxter. “Let’s hope the next ten years for him include six or seven finals because that is what we want to build. We’ve had a great period with this current group and let’s hope we get even more opportunities with them before the end of the season that we can fight for and we can grab. 

“At the same time, this could be season number one in Josh’s success story, so let’s do our best to go out and achieve that. Moving forward, the key to whatever we do, whether that be as a team or as a player, is that we stay on that upward curve. If you do that, eventually you will hit every goal you want, so let’s create the best possible platform for guys like Josh to go out and shine.”  

Others within the current Chiefs ranks are expected to confirm they are also extending their stays with the club in the coming days and weeks.