Bath Rugby’s Will Butt says he is incredibly excited to be joining Exeter Chiefs on a three-year contract this summer.
Bath’s under-18 will face their Leicester Tigers counterparts here at Allington Fields, Chippenham, tomorrow, Saturday 31st January, in the PREM Next Gen competition | Photo © Richard Briggs
The Winchester-born 26-year-old – a graduate of the Blue, Black & White’s academy – will leave The Rec for Sandy Park at the end of this season.
Primarily a centre, Butt – who made his Premiership debut for Bath in 2021 – can also play on the wing.
He said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining Chiefs next season. They’re a team that have achieved a huge amount in the last 10 years and look to be building something special once again.
“I’m looking forward to being a part of the group and contributing to the team in any way that I can.”
Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby, said: “We’re delighted to have signed Will on a long-term deal.
“He’s a guy who we’ve had an eye on for a long time and now, as we’re in a position of wanting to strengthen our centre depth, it’s perfect timing.
“He’s an experienced player who’s big and strong, got a great set of skills, including being a very good defender.
“We feel that he’s still got a lot of really good rugby to play having already played in a very successful Bath team for a number of years.
“We hope that coming in with us, he can be involved in a lot of big games in the future as we look to build a very competitive squad in the coming seasons.”
A statement from the Blue, Black & White said: “Bath Rugby can confirm that Will Butt will leave the club at the end of the 2025-26 season to join Exeter Chiefs.
“The centre will join Exeter Chiefs ahead of the 2026-27 season.
“Will Butt joined Bath Rugby at the age of 14 and captained Bath at under-18 level during the 2017–18 season.
“Butt graduated from the Bath Rugby Academy to the senior squad in the summer of 2021, ahead of the 2021–22 season, making his PREM Rugby debut in December 2021 away against Northampton Saints.
“Since joining the senior squad, Butt has made 69 appearances in Blue, Black & White.
“Butt was a key contributor during Bath’s remarkable treble-winning season, playing his part in lifting the Gallagher Premiership, EPCR Challenge Cup and Premiership Rugby Cup trophies.
“A well-liked figure around the club, he will stay in Blue, Black & White until the end of the 2025-26 season.”
Bath hooker Kepueli Tuipulotu has been named in the England A matchweek squad ahead of a fixture against an Ireland XV at Thomond Park, Limerick, on Friday 6th February.
The England A squad will assemble at The Lensbury Hotel, Teddington, London, on Sunday 1st February for a five-day training camp before departing for Ireland.
England A squad:
Forwards: Ben Bamber (Sale Sharks), Joe Batley (Bristol Bears), Jamie Blamire (Leicester Tigers), Zach Carr (Harlequins), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby), Tarek Haffar (Leicester Tigers), Fitz Harding (Bristol Bears), Will Hobson (Harlequins), George Kloska (Bristol Bears), Tom Lockett (Northampton Saints), Sam Riley (Harlequins), Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs), Kepueli Tuipulotu (Bath).
Backs: Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), Orlando Bailey (Leicester Tigers), Paul Brown-Bampoe (Exeter Chiefs), Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks), Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers), George Hendy (Northampton Saints), Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (Sale Sharks), Luke Northmore (Harlequins), Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks), Harry Randall (Bristol Bears), Billy Searle (Leicester Tigers), William Wand (Leicester Tigers).
Bath’s under-18s will be looking to extend their unbeaten record in the PREM Next Gen academy league to seven matches when they take on their Leicester Tigers counterparts tomorrow, Saturday 31st January.
The Blue, Black & White go into the Round 7 match at Allington Fields, home of Chippenham RFC, sitting at the top of the table with five wins and a draw to their name this season. Kick-off will be at 2pm.
Meanwhile, the University of Bath men’s 1st XV stretched their British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Super Rugby winning run to six matches by recording a hard-fought 39-26 success against visitors Hartpury on Wednesday 28th January.
The teams were deadlocked at 19-19 at half-time at the Team Bath Sports Training Village. But the hosts dug deep to come through with the points and successfully defend the BUCS Challenge Shield for a third time.
A topsy-turvy first half saw Bath take the lead three times through a try apiece from Evan Gallagher, Isaac Mears and Oli Sedgwick, the latter two scores converted by James Beverley.
However, Hartpury responded in kind on each occasion through Casey Williams, Corbin Smith and Sam Alexander, Math Jones adding the extras to two of the tries.
The Gloucestershire-based guests went ahead for the first time just after the interval, thanks to a Toby Maddock try and a Jones conversion. But Bath soon levelled through an Isaac Sprenger touchdown and a Beverley conversion.
A Harry Walker try restored Bath’s lead in the 51st minute and Beverley, who added the conversion, then kicked two penalties in the closing stages as the home side fought fiercely to keep Hartpury at bay.
The result means Bath and joint leaders Loughborough are now 10 points clear of third-placed Exeter.
University of Bath will face Exeter at Sandy Park on Wednesday 4th February (7.45pm).
