Chessum signs two-year Leicester extension worth £500,000 a season to stay until 2029

Ollie Chessum has signed a two-year contract extension with Leicester Tigers worth £500,000 a season, tying the club captain to Welford Road until 2029. The 26-year-old lock, who has earned 38 caps for England and featured in three Tests on the victorious 2025 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, becomes the second Tigers international to commit long-term this month after scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet.

Chessum has made 88 appearances for Leicester since his debut against Gloucester at Kingsholm in August 2020, and was appointed the club’s youngest captain since Ian ‘Dosser’ Smith in 1983 by head coach Geoff Parling last season. He has been widely tipped as a future England captain.

Speaking on his decision to stay, Chessum said the choice was straightforward. “It wasn’t a difficult decision. I saw what Jack van Poortvliet said when he re-signed last week. It makes it so much easier when you love the club but also love the people in it. I’ve got some of my closest mates here, and I think we’re at that turning point in our careers for a lot of us where we’ve gone from being those younger players to now all being in leadership roles, and we can take this place where we want it.”

Chessum also pointed to the stability provided by Parling entering his second season in charge. “Adding to that, we’ve got a real bit of consistency with Geoff being here for a second season. I really enjoy working with him, and for me it was just as simple as I couldn’t imagine wearing any other badge on my chest.”

Parling was equally effusive about retaining his skipper. “It’s just over a year since I asked Chess to captain the club and he’s been brilliant at driving our preparation levels each week. I want our environment to have both a hard edge and be fun, with a real togetherness in the group, and I think his personality fits this really well. The exciting part is that he’s got huge potential to keep pushing and growing his game further for both ourselves and England.”

Leicester can move to the top of the Gallagher Premiership table with a win at Bristol Bears.