Exeter's Wallabies raid set to continue with two further signings

Exeter Chiefs are poised to sign two more Wallabies as Rob Baxter looks to plot a move away from the bottom of the Gallagher Premiership table and bring the glory days back to Sandy Park.

The Chiefs, who have already announced that they are signing Wallaby back row Tom Hooper from the Brumbies, have also agreed on a deal that will see them land Springbok Joseph Dweba when his Stormers deal ends this summer.

But there is no sign that the spending will end there, with Wallaby inside centre Len Ikitau set to move to Devon on an initial nine-month deal after Baxter cut a deal with Rugby Australia to release him during the Autumn Nations Series.

The Brumbies ace will play games against England, Italy and Ireland but will then be released and will miss Tests against Japan and France to take up a Chiefs deal.

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Ikitau had been attracting interest from clubs in France but could return to the Brumbies in July 2026 if he can agree terms. If he doesn’t, it has been agreed he will stay with the Chiefs for a second season.

He would then return to Australia in time for the 2027 World Cup they are hosting, which would make him eligible for selection by whoever Rugby Australia picks to replace Joe Schmidt.

The Chiefs have hookers Jack Innard and Jack Yeandle out of contract, and they have already lost Dan Frost to Bath and are set to replenish their stocks by adding England-qualified Julian Heaven to the signing of Dweba.

Heaven, 24, who made four appearances for Lyon in the autumn of 2020 and made nine appearances for the NSW Waratahs last season, is poised to follow Ikitau and Hooper to the south-west.

Baxter is looking to sign another scrum-half and has been speaking to Jake Gordon, who is out of contract with the Brumbies later this year and has attracted interest from the Premiership, France and Japan.