EXETER Chiefs have signed centre Will Rigg from Championship side Coventry with immediate effect.

Having enjoyed his time at Butts Park, the young back is now excited by the prospect of testing himself in the elite rugby environment the Chiefs can provide.

“I am absolutely delighted to have joined such a successful club, not only in England but in Europe. Having spoken to the Chiefs coaches, the club seemed an excellent fit for me," he said. 

“I’ve had a hugely enjoyable time at Coventry, which is a fantastic club and I’d like to say how grateful I am for my time there. However, now I am just looking forward to getting down to the South West, meeting the lads in the squad and getting stuck in to this new opportunity.”

The 23-year-old has been a prolific attacking threat for Coventry since joining in June 2022 from BUCS side, Cardiff Met University. To date, he has chalked up 37 appearances, 14 tries and selection to the 2022/23 Championship Rugby Team of the Season.

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter has already seen development in the young back’s game and looks forward to seeing how he progresses in Chiefs colours.

“We’d been looking at some recruitment options for next season anyway but then with our injury situation in our backline beginning to add up and with boys heading off on Six Nations duty, we’ve ended up a little thin on the ground with some of our midfield options," he said.

“So, when the opportunity came for Will to join early, we sat down with Coventry to agree his joining us with immediate effect, so it’s all come around very quickly. We’ve got a good working relationship with Coventry, and we’d like to thank them for helping us make Will’s transition work.

“From him as a player, what we’ve seen is someone who could add something different to our current options. He’s a very direct, abrasive ball-carrier and a big, physical guy. 

“We can also see a level of improvement in him that we target when we look to sign university or Championship guys where we see they’ve got good skills and abilities, but we also think there’s some value we can add to them and some value they can add to our team.”

Rigg will be part of the squad that begins preparation for an Anglo-Welsh friendly clash against Scarlets next Saturday, February 10.