Slade sticks to Devon roots with new contract

Exeter Chiefs and England centre Henry Slade has committed his future to staying in Devon, signing a new contract with the club.

The 74-cap England international this season celebrated scoring his 1,000th Chiefs point against Gloucester Rugby in round five of the Gallagher PREM. A Chief since 2011, Slade has racked up 259 appearances in all competitions.

Slade said: “It was an easy decision to make to re-sign. To be able to run out at Sandy Park and continue to call this place home for a few more years is brilliant. I feel very privileged and lucky to have played so many games for Chiefs and in front of such a great group of fans.

“The squad of boys at this club, I’ve had a few across my time here, but the thing that hasn’t changed is that we’ve always been close off the pitch. Every group has been amazing in different ways, and I’ve got a lot of friends for life as a result. It makes it enjoyable, and you look forward to coming into training to see the boys.

“This squad is really exciting to be a part of. We’ve got a lot of very talented players who work incredibly hard but are very grounded with a good head on their shoulders. It’s an exciting time for the club, the way the team has come together is outstanding and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve in the future.”

One of the few remaining members of the original title and double-winning squad, now at 32-years-old the Plymouth-born centre is crucial to the Chiefs’ player leadership group.

A leading example of the early success of the Chiefs’ player development pathway, Slade’s journey began at Plymouth College before emerging through the ranks of the academy system as a truly talented prospect for the first team.

A title for England U20s at the 2012 Junior World Cup inspired Chiefs to hand the then 20-year-old his debut against London Welsh later the same year. An international debut followed three short years later, Slade pulling on the red rose for the first time against France at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

Fast forward a decade and for club, Slade now has 259 appearances, 50 tries and 1,090 points. Still firmly a fan-favourite, news of his re-signing kickstarts a positive start to the second half of the 2025/26 season for Chiefs.

Director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “This a fantastic re-signing for us. Henry is someone who has been here a long time, seen a lot of success, but still playing fantastically well and probably having one of his best seasons for the club currently.

“Henry is an international quality player, someone who can really hold things together for us as we develop as a team and look to win more trophies. He’s exactly the type of player we want to make sure we keep.

“He’s a great guy, a great player, everyone loves him in the squad. There’s nothing negative to say about Henry, so we’re delighted he’s staying with us for the next couple of years.”

Having already appeared in 14 out of 19 Chiefs matches this season, Slade is currently looking to add to his England caps as part of the 2026 Guinness Six Nations squad.