Rebel life is just the thing for Maunder

JACK Maunder had always been a name synonymous with Exeter Chiefs. Born and raised in the heart of Devon, rugby ran through his veins like the nearby River Exe carving its path through familiar landscapes.

- MARK STEVENS

From the moment he could run, he chased after the oval ball, honing his skills on the muddy fields of local clubs, dreaming of the day he would don the famous jersey of the Chiefs.

And that day did come. Maunder rising through the ranks at Sandy Park, his talent evident to all who watched him play. He became a fixture in the Chiefs’ line-up, his name etched in the annals of the club’s history with every try, every tackle, every game he played.

Part and parcel of the club’s double-winning side of 2020, a Premiership winner in 2017, as well as an England international, who would go on to feature 142 times for his hometown club, it was quite the ride for the gifted scrum-half.

But life, like the game of rugby itself, is unpredictable. Sometimes the winds of change blow unexpectedly, altering the course of one’s journey.

For the 26-year-old that change in direction came last summer when, six years after making his debut for the Chiefs, he was one of a number of long-standing stars who bid a fond farewell.