Kobayashi returning to the Chiefs

By Mark Stevens
13/7/23

Japanese international Kanako Kobayashi is returning to the Exeter Chiefs this coming season.

The powerful centre is heading back to Sandy Park ahead of the 2023/24 season having sat out this past campaign as she battled her way back from a serious knee injury.

In her first stint in Devon, however, the 24-year-old proved a smash hit, making 16 appearances for the Chiefs, scoring four tries in the process. She was part of the team that helped lift the inaugural Allianz Cup, as well as reaching a first-ever Allianz Premier 15s final.

Her return to the Chiefs, though, is a huge boost for head coach Susie Appleby, who said: "We're delighted to have Kanako come back to the club. She's not only a fantastic player, but a fantastic person as well.

"Everyone saw from her first season with us, what an asset she is to the squad. Her game understanding, together with her hard running and her quality in defence, make her the player she is.

"The great thing is she knows all about the club, she knows a lot of the other girls, so fitting her back into the system shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Kobayashi's return comes just days after the Chiefs confirmed the arrival of England international Harriet Millar-Mills and scrum-half Sammy Wong.