Cully out to make his mark at Chiefs

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs youngster Harrison Cully wants to follow the lead of others at the club and work his way from academy rookie to a first team regular at Sandy Park.

As head coach Rob Baxter has demonstrated in recent years, he’s not afraid to give up-and-coming talent the chance to shine, providing they hit the necessary standards demanded of a modern-day professional.

The likes of Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Sam Hill, Dave Ewers and Luke Cowan-Dickie have all made the transition from nurturing their talents within the club’s highly-successful academy programme to that of moving onto top flight and international recognition.

Hard work and dedication are certainly key ingredients in that pathway, but so too are things such as raw talent, a willingness to learn and thinking smart.

For Cully, the switch from rugby life at Truro College to that of rugby life at Sandy Park has certainly been interesting, but the 18-year-old insists he’s already relishing the opportunity that has been afforded to him to make it big within the game he loves.

Alongside Josh Caulfield and Jack Maunder, the trio are the latest young guns to have been rewarded with professional contracts by Baxter.

“I’m really enjoying it,” said Cully. “All the boys have made me feel very welcome, it’s a nice environment to come into and I’ve enjoyed the training and getting stuck into things.”

Having already experienced a month of pre-season training, Cully - who this season will be dual-registered with National League One side, Plymouth Albion - admits he’s already seen areas of his skills and game knowledge come on leaps and bounds having worked closely with the likes of Ali Hepher and Ricky Pellow (pictured).

“I’ve only been here a few weeks but already my skills and my understanding of the game have come on so much,” he added. “Already there has been a massive improvement in my game and it’s amazing working with the coaches we have here.”

And Cully believes the strides made by the likes of earlier academy graduates means youngsters like himself now have genuine role models to which they can look up to.

“All those players are great influences,” he said. “They are great role models for people like me, but at the same time you know behind the scenes that they are putting in the hard work.

“Up here you’re always reminded of the work you have to put in. It doesn’t come naturally or easy in any way, the boys will tell you that themselves, but if you’re willing to put in the work then good things tend to happen.”

And whilst the yardstick from which Baxter and the Chiefs now judge potential stars of the future is rising, Cully knows he’s been granted a golden opportunity that he must now take.

“I know I am in a very privileged position, but I can’t ask for anymore than the club has given me,” he said. “Over the last few years I’ve really come on as a player and looking forward I hope that continues for a lot longer.

“The club have done a lot with me, but so too did Truro College. Truro was amazing for me and it was a great place for me to now only carry on my studies, but to also knuckle down and focus on my rugby. The environment they have created is very professional compared to other sixth forms, so it was nice to start that way.”

With pre-season set to continue apace over the coming weeks, Cully knows even more hard work will need to be put in as he targets a year to remember.