Confirmed: Run-on Tomahawk Chop chant gets the chop at Exeter

Gallagher Premiership powerhouse Exeter have announced that their Tomahawk Chop chant will no longer be played at games. The chant was a familiar sound on matchdays at Sandy Park during Exeter’s rise to the summit of English and European rugby.

Earlier this year, the Premiership club announced a rebrand in line with the Celtic Iron Age Dumnonii Tribe after deciding to abandon the controversial Native American theme that provoked criticism.

The new identity – including a change to their logo – took effect in July and while the Chiefs nickname is being retained, the club said it would now be aligned with a “poignant and significant nod to the past”.

The Celtic Iron Age Dumnonii Tribe encompassed an area covering Devon, Cornwall and parts of Somerset for centuries before the Roman occupation from 43AD.

A section of supporters and others campaigned for the change in the belief that the previous imagery disrespected indigenous people in North America, prompting an extensive review process by the club, while Chiefs fans had been repeatedly asked by opposition sides not to wear the symbolic headdress to their grounds.

It is understood the club are currently working on new run-out options for the team on matchdays to reflect their new theme. Exeter open their new Premiership season with a home game against champions Leicester on September 10.