Atkins signs for Chiefs

Exeter have moved to fill the void left by departing captain Dean Mumm by signing his fellow Australian lock Ollie Atkins.

Atkins, 26, has agreed a two-year deal with the Aviva Premiership play-off contenders and will move to Devon from Edinburgh, the Chiefs announced.

Mumm is returning to Australia at the end of this season, and Atkins, who has represented Scotland A, will now strengthen Chiefs' second-row resources alongside fellow new arrival Geoff Parling.

" We had been aware Dean might be tempted to move back to Australia, but he has been very open and honest about it, and that gave us time to assess the market," Exeter head coach Rob Baxter told the club's official website.

"Ollie is actually someone that Dean mentioned, having played with him back in Australia.

"We have looked at Ollie's game closely. He has a lot of qualities that will work very well among the group here.

"He is a bit younger than Dean, he has a great engine and is a real 80-minute player."

Atkins played for the Sydney-based Waratahs, Western Force and Sydney University before moving to Scotland in 2013 and becoming a key member of the Edinburgh squad.