Brown agrees new Chiefs deal
Prop Alex Brown insists Exeter has become ‘home from home’ for him and that he was more than happy to extend his stay with the Chiefs for a further two years at least.
Signed during the summer of 2013 from Championship side Doncaster Knights, the Rochford-born tight-head has settled well to life in the Westcountry and has established himself as a proven force within the Exeter front-row.
An LV= Cup winner last term, Brown was also part of this season’s squad that came within a whisker of reclaiming their crown against Saracens at Northampton a fortnight ago.
In the Aviva Premiership, the 25-year-old has also proved his worth on a consistent basis and head coach Rob Baxter was keen to ensure Brown was retained for the forseeable future.
Baxter said: “The best thing about Alex is that he is a young player that is on part of a development process since he has been here. He is physically maturing and becoming a bigger, stronger man. He is improving with regular game time and training time.
“What you want to see from players over a period of time is improvement and that is what we are getting. He is in a very important position and you need to have strength in depth around our tight-head position.
“I am really pleased that Alex is staying for the next two years and what I am most pleased about is that I still see plenty of progression in him. He has also put in some very good performances in the game he has played and it is a nice position for both us and Alex.
“He is enjoying it here, he’s a popular member of the squad and those kind of qualities make contract extensions like this very easy.”
Indeed, Brown himself says the family-like feel of the Chiefs is something that appeals not only to him, but to all the Exeter players.
‘I’m really, really happy to be staying with the Chiefs and knowing that my future is here in Exeter,” said Brown. “The ethos of the club, the squad we have assembled and the whole make-up and atmosphere of the place, why would you want to go anywhere else?
“For me, Exeter has become home from home and I even say that to my own family. To be part of the Chiefs, especially going forward, is a huge honour and having sorted my contract now, it means I don’t have to worry about anything other than my rugby.
“Already I’ve enjoyed so many good times at the club, but I think we can have even more over the next few years. Coming into work every day is great because the guys next to you are not just colleagues, their team-mates and their mates away from the pitch as well.
“The bond this group have created is special, you can’t buy what we have, it has to be earned and that comes from everyone working hard for one another and enjoying the rewards that it brings.
“To be part of this group is something special and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. You can see the future of the club is bright and I just want to be part of it all for as long as I can.”
