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Ollie Devoto's move down three divisions is confirmed
By Josh Raisey
National League Two West outfit Taunton have confirmed the signing of former England centre Ollie Devoto, as reported by RugbyPass.
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The 30-year-old has joined the club as a ‘whole club engagement’, which Taunton chairman John Wrelton said will see him “fully immersed in Taunton Rugby Club and that could mean everything from the commercial operations to meeting the under 7s on a Sunday morning.”
The two-cap England international brought his eight-year stay with Exeter Chiefs to a close at the end of last season, the same time that Taunton were being relegated from National League One.
While his role at the club will extend far beyond just playing, the 2020 Investec Champions Cup winner said that “the goal that we have” is to earn promotion next season.
Following a double hip operation in 2022, Devoto confessed that he knew his time at the Chiefs was coming to an end last season, but stressed that he was “not ready to stop” and “being part of a rugby team is part of my DNA.”
“With what I’ve had done with both hips I knew my time at Exeter coming to an end,” the Somerset-born centre said after a return to his home county was confirmed.
“I’ve had a fantastic time at Chiefs, they’ve been brilliant to me and I was lucky to be part of a very special group of players that achieved great things.
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“I’m not ready to stop. Once the door closed with Chiefs, it was important to throw myself into a new environment. I had a couple of months completely away from rugby and I really missed it. Being part of a group, something bigger, is really important to me.
“I’ve only been here a very short time but it’s been everything I wanted it to be. Being part of a rugby team is part of my DNA. My Dad coached me when I was younger and my earliest memories are of being in a minibus going to rugby.
“I’ve been really impressed. Pre-season training has been tough but the lads are getting fit and the first pre-season games are only a few weeks away. It’s been refreshing for me to meet a whole new bunch of guys who’ve been really welcoming.
“The atmosphere is incredibly positive. This club should be up there winning the league and that’s the goal that we have.”
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Wrelton added: “Ollie was introduced to me by Tony Yapp. We met informally for a coffee, talked about the ethos of the club and it was lovely to hear that someone from the professional rugby sphere with such a well-known name would want to come back to a West Country club and become part of it wholly.”
