Exeter confirm the signing of ‘sky is the limit’ Test-level tighthead that Rob Baxter believes can be ‘really special’
Exeter boss Rob Baxter
English Premiership strugglers Exeter have bolstered their front-row roster for the 2025/26 season with the signing of Bachuki Tchumbadze, a newly capped tighthead prop from Georgia.
Having emerged via the Black Lion franchise team, the 23-year-old’s move to England will be the first time he will play for a club outside his native country.
The prop was handed a Test debut by Richard Cockerill last February, taking part in Georgia’s Rugby Europe Championship win over the Netherlands. He has now been recruited by Rob Baxter, who is expecting huge things from the international.
“We are delighted to have Bachuki’s deal signed and already have him here training with us,” enthused Baxter, who is looking to quickly transform the Chiefs following a Premiership campaign where just four wins in 18 matches left them trailed off in ninth place.
‘Shows an awful lot of promise for a young man…’
“He is a young prop who has broken onto the international scene recently though, interestingly, Ross McMillan has been tracking his career since he played U19 for Georgia, keeping a close eye on his progress with Black Lion and the national team.
“We have had to add to our tighthead stock with Marcus Street leaving and Ehren Painter still rehabbing a long-term injury.
“Bachuki comes in to give real competition to Jimmy Roots and Josh Iosefa-Scott in our senior group, while we have got some youngsters training with the squad too.
“He is one of those guys who shows an awful lot of promise for a young man. He is dynamic in the loose, very effective in the tight. He will really thrive working with Ross.
“We are going to be focusing on our set piece this pre-season, especially around the scrum, so that will give him a lot of opportunities in live sessions.
“We would really love to see him thrive here and become a very important player for us. He is one of those young men where the sky is the limit on what he can achieve, so we have just got to give him the platform to work really hard and hopefully he can achieve something really special here.”
Tchumbadze added: “I really enjoy English rugby, and I’m truly honoured to have the opportunity to be a key part of the Exeter Chiefs.
“I’m well aware of the crucial role that forwards play in the team’s system, and I’m really looking forward to making my debut in the Premiership.”
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