Exeter Chiefs confirm 20 departures including Ikitau, Sio and Tshiunza

Exeter Chiefs will lose 20 players at the end of the current Gallagher Premiership season, with three internationally capped forwards and backs among the most prominent departures from Sandy Park.

Fifty-cap Wallabies centre Len Ikitau, 76-cap loosehead prop Scott Sio and 15-cap Wales forward Christ Tshiunza headline the exits. Ikitau returns to Super Rugby with the Brumbies but has hinted at a potential comeback to Exeter after the 2027 Rugby World Cup on Australian soil. Sio, 34, ends a four-year stint in Devon to join Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship; the veteran prop switched national allegiance during his time at the club, earning two caps for Samoa last season. Tshiunza, 24, stays in the Premiership, signing for Sale Sharks as he looks to move on from back-to-back injury-disrupted campaigns.

Among the other notable departures, lock Rusi Tuima and centre Will Rigg will both join Newcastle Red Bulls, while academy graduates Louie Sinclair and Sol Moody have signed for Bristol Bears.

Several players returning from loan spells are also moving on permanently. Scrum-half Will Becconsall, centre Harry Ascherl and back-row Jack Forsythe will continue their careers with Cornish Pirates, while fly-half Iwan Jenkins has made his loan move to Plymouth Albion permanent.

The departing players will have one final opportunity to sign off at Sandy Park this weekend, when Exeter host Saracens in the last round of the regular season. A quarter-final place is on the line for both sides, making it effectively a knockout fixture.

Head coach Rob Baxter paid tribute to all 20 players. “I’d like to thank all the players leaving us for being a part of the Chiefs journey,” he said. “This season has been an enjoyable one for all of us, as the boys have pushed themselves in all three competitions, creating some truly special memories. All of our leavers have contributed to a strong, tight-knit environment and I know I speak for everyone at the club when I say we wish them all the very best in the future.”