Exeter Chiefs and swcomms celebrate 25th anniversary

The club began to advance at pace, including a rebrand in 1999 to Exeter Chiefs. Director of Rugby Ian Bremner oversaw the early years of the semi-professional era at the County Ground when they would regularly challenge for the top division, only to be pipped by sides such as Leeds Tykes, Rotherham and Worcester. Meanwhile, numerous players would support their rugby-playing incomes with jobs at swcomms’ Communications House in Sowton.

Then in 2006, the club moved into their new stadium on the outskirts of town with a new DOR, England Under-21s manager Pete Drewett who took charge of a full-time squad. The new-build enabled swcomms to put its services to good use in getting this remote site ready in time for the first home game at Sandy Park by providing internet connections, telephone system, data network, Wi-Fi, CCTV and so on to a very tight deadline. This step into the modern era also saw Tony take on a full-time role as CEO and chairman role at the club, with former player Harry Langley becoming managing director at swcomms.

Three years later and coach Rob Baxter stepped into the role of head coach and the club’s playing fortunes took a massive step forward with a two-leg RFU Championship seeing them into the Premiership for the first time.

The rugby public no doubt expected Chiefs to slip straight back into the Championship after one season, but they finished in eighth place. A fifth place the following year saw them reach the Heineken Cup for the first time. Chiefs lifted the LV= Cup in the 2013/14 season, former swcomms group engineering director (now managing director) Brian Lodge joined the Chiefs’ board and several players started to attract the attention of international selectors.