Exeter Chiefs sign All Black centre Dallas McLeod on three-year deal
Exeter Chiefs have agreed a three-year contract with New Zealand back Dallas McLeod, and he is due at Sandy Park this week. BBC Sport reports the deal, which runs from the 2026/27 season.
Exeter head coach Rob Baxter says McLeod has been signed as a centre, the midfield position numbered 12 or 13. Centres carry the ball into contact against the defensive line, then have to hold their own channel when the other side attacks. McLeod is 27 and has won one cap for the All Blacks, meaning he has played one Test for New Zealand.
His club record is strong. He helped Canterbury win the National Provincial Championship, the top domestic competition in New Zealand, and was part of the Crusaders side that won Super Rugby titles in 2023 and 2025. Super Rugby is the leading club tournament in the southern hemisphere.
He will not be available for Exeter's Premiership match against Harlequins on Saturday, 31 October, which kicks off at 15:00 GMT. The Premiership is England's top men's league, and every game counts towards the table.
Exeter are also missing players through injury. Campbell Ridl is out for most of the season. Tommy Wyatt will not be back until December. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has a hamstring problem, an injury to the muscle at the back of the thigh.
Against that backdrop, McLeod's arrival gives Baxter another option in midfield. When he will make his first appearance for the club has not yet been confirmed.
