Premiership club suspends coaches after record loss

NEWS: Exeter announced that they have suspended coaches Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher “pending a full review” after their disastrous 17-79 loss to Gloucester.

The Chiefs, who have won just three league games all season, conceded 13 tries as Gloucester kept themselves firmly in play-off contention, one point behind fourth-placed Bristol.

The former Premiership and European champions have endured their worst-ever campaign since they were promoted to the top flight, and chief executive Tony Rowe was spotted giving the players a verbal dressing-room tongue-lashing.

The Chiefs have also suffered a record European Cup defeat, losing 17-69 to Bordeaux this season, and have tasted defeat in 12 of their 15 Premiership games.

The 13-try humiliation at Kingsholm was 19 points worse than their previous worst – a 12-55 thrashing by Sale Sharks 11 years ago – while the 7-43 half-time deficit was 10 points greater than their previous worst first-half performance.

Now, the Premiership club has announced they will suspend coaches Hunter and Hepher “pending a full review of the match and the 2024/25 season to date.”

Rowe said: “No final decision regarding the club’s coaching structure going forward has been made, and it would be improper to make any further comment until all internal procedures have been completed.”

In the interim, Rob Baxter will step into a front-line coaching role to oversee the remainder of the season.

🗣️ Head coach Rob Hunter addresses today’s game.#GLOvEXE | #JointheJourney pic.twitter.com/hgIZtRbbe4

— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) April 27, 2025