Josh Iosefa-Scott signs new two-year Exeter Chiefs deal

Exeter Chiefs prop Josh Iosefa-Scott has signed a new two-year contract, securing his future with the Gallagher Premiership club until 2026.

The New Zealand-born forward, who arrived at Sandy Park in 2021, has developed into a key figure in Exeter’s front row after overcoming early setbacks.

At 145kg, Iosefa-Scott brings significant physicality to the scrum, but Director of Rugby Rob Baxter believes there is even more to come from the 28-year-old as he continues his development.

Reflecting on Iosefa-Scott’s progress, Baxter praised the prop’s resilience and impact this season.

"You look at what has been a challenging season for us, but he’s been one of the success stories.

"He had to get over a relatively serious injury for a prop at the end of last season - and he was probably still feeling the effects of that at the start of this season, but as games have gone on, he’s really developed momentum in the way he’s playing.

"He’s now up and running and he’s probably our number one first choice at this time. He’s a big guy, a good rugby player, and someone with a lot of potential as well."

Baxter also highlighted Iosefa-Scott’s aspirations for international rugby, with the tighthead prop already having featured for England A.

"He’s already had some involvement with the England A squad, but the next step we foresee for him is to move forward to be one of the top tightheads in the Premiership.

"We’d like to try to help him fulfil his ambitions of international rugby, which we certainly see as being an achievable goal for him in the future."

Iosefa-Scott’s contract extension is particularly timely for Exeter, as they continue to rebuild their front-row depth. With Ehren Painter sidelined due to an ACL injury and Marcus Street set to join Saracens at the end of the season, the retention of Iosefa-Scott provides much-needed stability in the Chiefs’ pack.

Exeter are at the ninth place in the Gallagher Premiership table with two wins from 11 matches.