Henry Slade the latest Exeter Chiefs star linked with shock departure

The 5-bedroom house in Exeter, belonging to the 29-year-old player, has recently been put on the market for an astonishing £1.3 million.

Slade's journey in rugby has been impressive and closely watched by fans and clubs alike. A key figure in the Exeter Chiefs squad, he has garnered international recognition, earning 50 caps for England. His contributions on the field have been invaluable, and he has consistently displayed exceptional skills and tactical acumen, making him a sought-after asset in the rugby world.

However, the rugby landscape around him seems to be changing rapidly. Several of his fellow England internationals, such as Sam Simmonds, Jack Nowell, and Harry Williams, have already made the decision to leave the club to pursue opportunities in France next season.

Additionally, even some of the Scottish internationals, namely Stuart Hogg, Sam Skinner, and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, have bid farewell to Sandy Park, hinting at potential financial challenges the club might be facing, report The Rugby Paper.

This uncertain environment has fueled speculation about Slade's own future with Exeter Chiefs. Rugby enthusiasts and pundits are keenly observing whether he will choose to continue his journey with the club or explore other options available to him in the domestic and international rugby arena.

As the forthcoming season approaches, the rugby world eagerly anticipates how the situation will unfold for Slade and the Exeter Chiefs.

Will he choose to remain loyal to the club that has been a significant part of his career, or will he opt for a new challenge and adventure in a different rugby landscape? Only time will tell.

Ben O'Keeffe is one of New Zealand's six full-time rugby referees. Alongside O'Keeffe's on-field role, which sees him take charge of Super Rugby's most exciting talents, the 34-year-old is also a fully-qualified ophthalmologist or eye doctor.

Dr Ben specialises in eye health and disease, and he is the Director and Founder of oDocs Eye Care. O'Keeffe established the organisation eight years ago, with the company striving to end preventable blindness through state of the art techniques.

The goal of oDocs is to make eye care more affordable across the globe, with the rugby referee at the heart of the ground-breaking progressions.

When he is not laying down the law on the rugby pitch, South African referee Jaco Peyper operates as an Attorney for his family business. Peyper Attorneys are legal representatives who work on court cases across South Africa.

Now at 43-years-old, Peyper is a veteran of the refereeing game and is regarded as one of the best match officials on the whistle today. Peyper has previously stated how he wanted to referee until the 2023 Rugby World Cup, so this may be the competition which sees the referee hang up the whistle.

Well known to fans of the Premiership and International test matches, Wayne Barnes is one of the most on-the-ball officials across rugby. Barnes has earnt the on-field respect from players and rugby fans alike, yet away from the pitch the 44-year-old is a barrister, and one of the founding members of Fulcrum Chambers.

Barnes is a Director of Fulcrum Group Services, with his areas of expertise lying in White Collar Crime, Corporate Governance and Compliance, Asset Forfeiture and Tracing and Confiscation. Barnes also heads up their Sports Law team and uses his experience of supporting corporate clients whilst still being heavily involved at the top end of professional sport.

Despite calling time on his on-field refereeing career, legendary Welsh referee Nigel Owens has previously appeared as a pundit for BBC Sport, lending his thoughts on high-profile refereeing decisions.

The stage is set for Owens to once again have his say on the competition's refereeing calls, but away from the sport Owens is a keen farmer in his homeland.

Owens lives off the land in the Gwendraeth Valley some 15 miles north-west of Swansea. Long before he was dishing out discipline in his trademark style, Owens started out working on a dairy farm near his childhood home in the village of Mynyddcerrig. He was a keen member of Llanarthne Young Farmers Club, too.

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Age: 34

Nationality: Irish/Welsh

Occupation: Musician

He is a grade eight violinist. His violin teacher was the mother of TV presenter Gethin Jones.

Brace said: “ I think one of the toughest players I’ve refereed would be Marcel Coetzee. He’s such a physical player who never takes a backward step.”