Baxter confirms duo to depart

 

By Steve Grace
3/5/2016

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has confirmed today that both Byron McGuigan and Chrysander Botha are to leave the Aviva Premiership club at the end of the season.

Baxter confirmed the Namibian duo would be on their way soon, but said he did not know where they would be playing their rugby next season.

“They are not going to be at Exeter next year,” Baxter said. “At this stage I don’t know where they are going to be going next. I can’t really make any further comment at the moment other than that.”

Utility back McGuigan arrived at the club in November 2014 having previously played for Glasgow Warriors. He made 17 appearances in all competitions for Exeter that season, scoring three tries and doing enough to convince Baxter to hand him a new one-year deal.

However, the consistency of the likes of Phil Dollman at full-back and the club’s all-round fine form has meant appearances have been thin on the ground this term.

The 26-year-old has featured just once all season, scoring a try in Exe’s 34-27 loss at Bordeaux-Bègles in the European Champions Cup.

Botha, meanwhile, arrived at Sandy Park in the summer of 2014 from South African Super Rugby outfit the Lions and made an encouraging start, scoring a debut try in a 52-0 thumping of London Welsh.

However, a broken leg and dislocated ankle sustained while on international duty restricted him to just five appearances that season. Like McGuigan, the 27-year-old Namibian international has also featured just once this term – in the same loss at Bordeaux-Begles.

Both men starred in Exeter Braves’ A League win over Northampton Wanderers at Sandy Park on Monday.