Exeter Chiefs Community

Dave Armstrong - Community Development Coach:

Outside of Dave’s day to day duties as a Community Development Coach for the Exeter Chiefs. He enjoys coaching at a local grass roots club. There he has been appointed the Head of Women and Girls rugby.
He is also involved within County rugby, where Dave is the Lead Coach of the Devon girls Player Development group (PDG).
Most recently, Dave was invited along as a guest coach with the England under 18 girls Player Development Group (PDG). There he has seen first-hand the level of young players, particularly the female players, that a being produced throughout our region.

Dave said “I am hugely enjoying help develop young players throughout our region. But not just players, coaches too. I thrive on helping and mentoring both current and potential coaches, to then pass on that knowledge and skills to others.”

We were delighted to welcome players Louie Gulley and Kane James, alongside players Archie Parsons and Harry Battern.

Their visit created a huge buzz among our young players, who loved the opportunity to learn from and play alongside some of the region's top talent. It was great to see all four players getting fully involved in both the coaching sessions and games throughout the day.

A massive thank you to Louie, Kane, Archie and Harry for helping make the camp such a memorable experience and inspiring the next generation of players!🏉

☀️🏉 MAY HALF-TERM ROUND UP 🏉☀️

What a fantastic week we've had across Devon during our May Half-Term Camps!

We were lucky enough to enjoy plenty of sunshine, great rugby, and lots of smiles as over 150 young players joined us throughout the week at:

📍 Plymstock Oaks RFC
📍 Withycombe RFC (Girls Only Camp)
📍 Sandy Park (U12s–U16s)
📍 Salcombe RFC

It was brilliant to see so many children developing their skills, making new friends, and enjoying the game in such a positive environment.

A huge thank you to all the players, parents, coaches, and host clubs who helped make the week such a success.

👀 Keep your eyes peeled for details of our Summer Camps coming very soon – they're set to be bigger and better than ever!

💫We are very proud of Chiefs Engage 16+ learner Katy who has just found out this week she has qualified for the DMT National finals!💫

Not just qualifying but ranked No.1 and the one to beat!

Training for approximately 6 hours a week and further training in another discipline, Katy competes regularly in leagues and is a previous GB gold medal winner. 🥇A big shout out to for the amazing support they've given her since a child, what would we do without the clubs that support all our young people in sport and our communities.

Katy is smashing it at Engage 16+ too and a pleasure to have in the current cohort, building in confidence every week and on the way to completing her BTEC Level 1 Sport qualification.

She now enters a new era of coming up against adults in the Over 16's disability category and we wish her all the luck in the world! 🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️🤞🤞🤞

💫 He’s done it! 💫

A huge congratulations to Reuben for passing his Functional Skills Level 2 Maths qualification! 🎉📚

This is a fantastic achievement and an important step towards further education, an apprenticeship, and exciting opportunities ahead. Reuben’s dedication, resilience, and determination to succeed — including all the extra effort he’s put in before and after sessions — have truly paid off.

We’re incredibly proud of everything he’s achieved and the perseverance he’s shown, even when things felt tough. Your hard work earned this moment, Reuben — and we couldn’t be happier for you, go celebrate! 🎉🎉🎉🎉Exeter Chiefs Foundation

💫“Chiefs Engage has proven such a success that it has led to the introduction of Topsham Thursdays!”💫

Another twelve learners have joined us, seeking support to return to education, reintegrate into the classroom environment, and re-engage with the fundamental skills needed to thrive in education and reach their full potential. 🎉

We are delighted😁 that the relationships we have with local schools, Devon County Council and other agencies, is contributing to young people coming through our doors and that we can remind them that 'They are deserved' of accomplishments and achievements beyond their wildest dreams, when working together to improve attainment and use activity to burn off the energy they have.

A huge thank you to Topsham RFC ⚓ for allowing us to further invest in the young people in our community that need lifting higher!☝

Welcome to the new Engage Team - reach out and grab what you deserve whilst we help you INSPIRE - THRIVE - SUCCEED!
Exeter Chiefs Foundation