Appleby ties down another three Chiefs

By Mark Stevens
2/8/21

Susie Appleby’s build-up to the new Allianz Premier 15s season shows no sign of slowing down as she today confirmed another three of her Exeter Chiefs Women’s squad have all agreed new deals with the club.

Forwards Ebony Jefferies, Poppy Leitch and Michaella Roberts have become the latest trio to commit to the Devonians as they look to build on last season’s impressive introduction to life in the top tier of the women’s game in England.

Both Jefferies and Leitch were near ever-presents for Appleby’s side as they finished sixth in the standings, while Cornish-born prop Roberts featured on 12 occasions.

“We are really starting to piece together the squad for next season,” said head coach Appleby. “To have the majority of last season’s squad commit has been a huge boost and allows us to work from the foundations we created over the course of the season.

“Poppy, I would say, was like our glue and really held us together. Initially, she took a while to decide whether she wanted to continue playing, but come the end she was one of our stand-out performers and really underlined her worth to us.

“She was fabulous and with her connection to the University of Exeter, where she heads up the women’s programme, she has been a key asset and really helped provide an important connection to the programme they are delivering.

“Equally, Ebony was another who did so, so well for us. I think back to the game against Bristol away, just after Christmas, where she was the stand-out player that day. She just maintained her form from that day and showed what an asset she was to the squad.

“Already in pre-season she is showing great quality, but she needs to as she is featuring in what will be a very competitive back-row this season.

“Finally, Michaella is another who did well when called upon. If I’m honest, she probably didn’t see enough game time over the course of the season, but with scrums and the game getting back to normal again this season, there is a great opportunity for her to kick on and prove her worth.”

As well as tying down the futures of many of last season’s squad, Appleby has hinted that she is set to confirm the arrival of several new faces to the club in the coming days.