Exeter Chiefs have confirmed that Mike Williams has signed for the club from Bath. The Zimbabwean-born forward has agreed a move to Devon, and is a useful signing in the midst of the expected player exodus come the end of the season.
Williams made sporadic appearences for the Blue Bulls in South Africa, before moving to the Northern Hemisphere in 2013. He first arrived at Worcester Warriors, racking up 51 caps for the club, before a longer spell at Leicester. After winning 80 caps over four years at Welford Road, Williams moved on to Bath in 2019.
Williams arrives just four days after the confirmed departure of second row Ruben van Heerden, as the South African has returned to his home country after agreeing a mid-season move to DHL Stormers.
“I’m looking forward to getting stuck in,” said Williams. “I’ve obviously come up against the Chiefs a lot in the past, so I know a few of the guys well and what the team are capable of. They are a top side, packed full of high-profile individuals and a team who like to win.
“For me, it’s an honour to be here. With Ruben moving on, the opportunity came up for me to head down here and I’m looking forward to making the most of it. Already the guys have welcomed me with open arms. You can see the boys are a tight group, not just off the field, but also on the field as well.”
“It’s an amazing time to join,” he added. “Playing against the Chiefs you always know what they are capable of and that you’re in a game against them. Sandy Park is one of the toughest places to come and play as an opposing team, so it’s pretty cool that I’m here now and on the other side of things.”
Exeter Chiefs Head Coach Rob Baxter is delighted to have secured Williams services, in what is the start of a squad re-build at Sandy Park.
“Having agreed to release Ruben last week, it did leave us a little light in the second row,” explained Baxter. “At the same time, Mike became available for various reasons at Bath, it’s a little complex and I won’t go into that now, but the opportunity for him to play at Bath were going to be limited. They were prepared because of that instance to release him; he’s fully fit, he’s in full training and ready to go, so for us we’re delighted to bring in a guy who, most people if they watch the Premiership regularly, will know is a proven performer.
“He’s also got that level of experience to come in and slot in straight away, so it’s a great fit for us in many ways. A lot of the guys know him already and I think he will be a great addition to our squad.”
“He’s here initially on a short-term deal, but the opportunity is there for Mike to try and earn himself a longer contract. We want guys to come here with a point to prove, a chip on the shoulder, however you want to talk about it, and get out on the pitch and see what they can do. He can run around, he can scrum and maul, if you run into him he will knock you over, but the important thing is to get him embedded as quickly as we can and see where it takes us.”