Oli Bishop Steps Up as Exeter Chiefs Women's Head Coach
Exeter Chiefs Women have promoted assistant coach Oli Bishop to head coach, filling the vacancy left by Steve Salvin's departure in July.
Bishop served as Salvin's assistant throughout the 2025-26 campaign, taking charge of the team's backs and attack. He had already deputised on the touchline last season while Salvin was away on Wales duty — the kind of hands-on trial run that made the step up a natural fit rather than a leap into the unknown. BBC Sport
Salvin guided Exeter to third place in Premiership Women's Rugby, the top-flight domestic competition, before a narrow play-off semi-final defeat to Saracens ended their season. He then left to take up the full-time forwards coach role with Wales, having first held the position on an interim basis during the 2026 Six Nations. BBC Sport
Bishop's coaching pedigree runs deep. He has spent 13 years in the women's Premiership — nine at Wasps and two at Ealing Trailfinders — before arriving at Sandy Park. Exeter officially announced his initial appointment as backs and attack coach in March 2025, with Bishop describing himself at the time as "absolutely thrilled" to join a club he praised for its culture and talented squad. Exeter Chiefs
Speaking to BBC South West about the promotion, Bishop called the appointment "huge" for him personally and said the club had been "amazing" since his arrival. BBC Sport
He will be supported by new assistant coach Ross Bundy, who joined from Leicester Tigers in July. The fresh pairing inherits a squad with genuine pedigree: Exeter's women's side was established in 2019 and quickly became a force, finishing championship runners-up in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 while winning the Allianz Cup in each of those seasons. BBC Sport
For a club that has tasted silverware but is still chasing a first league title, the hope is that continuity — a coach who already knows the players, the systems and the expectations — can bridge the gap between a third-place finish and the top of the table.
