Nic White leaves for Australia

Australia scrum-half Nic White has departed for his second spell with the Brumbies, bringing his three years with Exeter Chiefs to an end. It had been known for well over a year that the 30-year-old would be leaving Sandy Park at the end of the 2019/20 season, as a deal had been created in May 2019 that would allow him to play for the Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup in Japan. 

With under 60-caps to his name (the minimum amount for an Australian player to play abroad and still represent their country), this deal needed to be struck in order to facilitate his return to Test rugby.

His four-year Wallabies exile ended last year when he returned for the Rugby Championship. 

Brumbies back row forward Locky McCaffrey and outside back Andy Muirhead

Brumbies back row forward Locky McCaffrey and outside back Andy Muirhead

It was announced last October that White would be rejoining the Brumbies, having left the Canberra side in 2015 when moving to Montpellier. 

Many players’ contracts are now expiring, despite the scheduled continuation of the English season in August, which means White has already embarked for Australia.

The scrum-half shared photos of his time in Devon, where he has directed play adroitly for three years behind the Chiefs pack and merited his recall to the Test side. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCF3k5MpA1x/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This move will allow 31-cap Wallaby to feature in the upcoming Super Rugby AU competition, where the Brumbies play their opening match against the Melbourne Rebels in Canberra this Saturday. They have a bye the week later, which could help him acclimatise. 

Unfortunately, it means White’s time with Exeter ends with a whimper though, in a season that was showing a lot of promise, with Rob Baxter’s side sitting atop the Gallagher Premiership table and with a home Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final against Northampton Saints to look forward to in September. 

At least the Australian’s final memory in a Chiefs shirt was a pleasant one; a 57-20 victory over Bath in March.