Yeandle agrees new deal

By Mark Stevens

Jack Yeandle has spoken of his delight as he today agreed a new two-year contract with hometown club Exeter Chiefs.

Signed during the summer of 2012 from Championship side Doncaster Knights, the hooker has adapted well to life another rung up the league ladder in English rugby - establishing himself as a first-team regular in Rob Baxter's Chiefs squad.

However, Yeandle remains hugely ambitious and with his future in Devon secured until 2015 at the very least, the talented forward is keen to push his game to new levels.

"Obviously I'm delighted to have signed for another two years," said Yeandle. "I'm really happy here and it was all very easy in the end. I'm one of the lucky people who gets to play for their hometown club, both in the Premiership and in Europe, so it's perfect really.

"As everyone knows, I'm a local lad, so playing for the Chiefs is massive and something I am very proud of."

Initially Yeandle had to bide his time for his chance with the Chiefs - including spending a short spell on loan with the Cornish Pirates - but since brought into the first team picture by Baxter, the 23-year-old has gone from strength to strength.

"I came here to work hard, get my head down and prove myself," explained Yeandle. "Last season I got given an opportunity and like the old cliche, I've just got my head down and kept working hard and now it's a great position to be in. Playing in the Premiership and in the Heineken Cup, it's a step up and why you want to play the game. I'm just enjoying every minute of it."

Yeandle, though, remains level-headed about his achievements and knows that although he has secured a new deal with the Chiefs, the hard work he has shown during his first two years at the club must be replicated moving forward.

He added: "You can't take your foot off the gas at all. You have to burrow down and try and keep hold of that shirt, simply because Chris [Whitehead] is chomping at the bit, as is Greg [Bateman] who had two good games in the LV= Cup recently. You've also got the two Dickies [Luke and Tom] jumping at my heels, so it's very much about going forward, working hard and keep progressing.

"Here at the club there is no nailed down fact that you'll be playing each week, you have to work hard to get the shirt. As a club, we just want to keep moving forward - we've done that over the last few years - and obviously the aim is to continue that.

"The club are ambitious, not just in terms of what we do on the field, but off it as well there are big things in the pipeline. We want to be mixing it with the big boys. This place is going places, we've just won the Rugby Venue of the Year award and it's a great experience here on match-days, so why wouldn't you want to be part of it all."