Italian international Varney settles in Devon with new contract

Exeter Chiefs and Italian international scrum-half Stephen Varney has signed a new contract with the club, kicking off an exciting start to the second half of Chiefs’ 2025/26 campaign.

Now an integral part of the game plan for both club and country, Varney has enjoyed an impressive start to his Chiefs career playing in eight out of 13 games so far this season.

Varney said: “I’m delighted to be re-signing with Chiefs. Although I’ve only been here for this season, it’s been a place I’ve really enjoyed from day one.

“The group of players, the staff, and the supporters have made it a special environment to be part of, and I’ve felt welcomed from the moment I arrived.

“I’m excited about what’s ahead and what this club can achieve moving forward, and I’m looking forward to continuing the journey and seeing what’s next for us as a group.”

The announcement comes in the aftermath of a try-scoring performance for the scrum-half in Chiefs’ momentous victory over Saracens at the StoneX stadium in round seven of this season’s Gallagher PREM.

With previous experience in the league with Gloucester from 2019 to 2024, the 24-year-old has slotted into the Chiefs environment seamlessly, forming a half-back partnership with Harvey Skinner.

On the international stage, since debuting for Italy in the autumn of 2020, he has gained 36 caps. Most recently, he was named player of the match in the Azzurri’s opening match of the 2025 Quilter Nations Series against Australia.

Director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “We’re thrilled Stephen is extending his contract. He came here for a year to see how things go and he’s had a fantastic impact for us so far this season.

“You can see he’s a quality player and he’s been an important part of why we’ve gone well. His individual skills of passing, kicking and reading the game partnered with his great pace have been key.

“He’s clearly very passionate about doing well for the club and doing well for his teammates. He’s fully invested in what is going on. He’s probably the guy who celebrates tries harder than anyone else, and that’s fantastic to see that we’ve got players who are passionate about what we’re doing. So, I think he’s a very important signing for us going forward.”

Varney will be looking to celebrate Varney’s re-signing news with the Chiefs supporters at a sold-out Sandy Park this Sunday afternoon as the Exeter men take on Leicester Tigers.