Olly Woodburn has been in phenomenal form during the 2022/23 campaign to help Chiefs climb into the play-off spots
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Exeter Chiefs have agreed terms on a new contract with winger Olly Woodburn according to the latest reports.
Woodburn, 31, is in the form of his life for Chiefs having overcome the injury issues which plagued him last season and stepped up to claim a regular first team berth following the departure of Tom O’Flaherty to Sale Sharks last summer.
Woodburn moved to Exeter from Bath ahead of the 2015/16 season and has now made 152 appearances for the club, scoring 54 tries.
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This season Woodburn has rediscovered his form of 2016/17 which saw him named the club’s Player of the Year and was nominated for the Premiership’s Player of the Year accolade as Exeter were crowned league champions for the first time in their history with a win over Wasps in the final.
The Rugby Paper reports Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter has agreed a deal to keep the high ball specialist at Sandy Park in a boost to his backline having also secured the services of full-back Josh Hodge on a long-term deal which was confirmed yesterday.
Hodge and Woodburn’s signature comes as a big boost for Chiefs as a number of big-name stars have been confirmed as leaving the club at the end of the season. England stars Sam Simmonds and Luke Cowan-Dickie are heading to Montpellier, Jannes Kirsten is returning to the Bulls and Dave Ewers is moving to Ulster. Ruben van Heerden left the club earlier this month for the Sharks having failed to settle in Devon with his family since making the move from South Africa in the summer.
The futures of fly-half Joe Simmonds, tighthead prop Harry Williams and British and Irish Lions winger Jack Nowell also uncertain with their contracts winding down or with clauses allowing their early release, while there are injury concerns around former England international loosehead prop Ben Moon who could be forced to retire due to an on-going neck issue.
Providing an update on Moon last week, Baxter said: "I wouldn't hold out hope that he's going to be appearing soon. It's been a challenge for Ben for a little period of time now, it's not just been this season.
"He's had periods in and out with it, it's something that's been affecting him for a little while and because of what it is we just have to be very careful with it."
"He's still active around the club, he's still here, he's in training, he's continuing very hard with his rehab and getting everything else he can right, but we've just got to be really careful around that neck.
"It's probably one of those things where it's getting to the stage where there's not a lot more we can do. I can't talk for Ben about his future, but you're not going to see him in the immediate future on the pitch."