In this feature, we delve back into the archives to look at Exeter’s BUCS Super Rugby performances over the years, starting off with the inaugural BUCS Super Rugby Season in 2016/17.

Since the inception of the BUCS Super Rugby league in October 2016, EURFC have been mainstays at the top of the league, winning the regular season twice (2017/18 & 2018/19) and finishing in second place in the other two seasons (2016/17 & 2019/20,) to Hartpury and Durham respectively.

The 2016/17 season saw the beginning of a brave new world for top-level university rugby as the top four sides from the North and top four sides from the South were formed into the first ever BUCS Super Rugby league, playing each other home and away, before a series of knockout matches ending in the Championship Final at Twickenham.

Exeter opened their campaign with a repeat of the previous season’s final, away to Loughborough in front of 4500 people and live television cameras. It was to be a disappointing start for Exeter though, as the home side avenged their Twickenham defeat with a 20-11 victory, despite a try from Tom Lawday and 6 points from the boot of Ted Landray. Exeter’s difficult adjustment to Super Rugby continued in the following round, as they were dismantled 41-18 away at Hartpury.

It was to be a case of home comforts for Exeter, as their first game of the season at Topsham bought up their first victory, a 59-12 thrashing of Northumbria. A brace of tries from back-rowers Tom Lawday and Matt Eliet set Exeter on their way to a convincing victory that started a 9-match unbeaten run. This victory was followed up with a first away victory away to Leeds Beckett (27-10,) before Fleming’s men secured revenge for their opening day defeat, with a 28-24 victory at fortress Topsham over Loughborough.

A high-scoring encounter followed in a 49-29 victory over Cardiff Met, Lawday continuing his fine try scoring record with another double to take his tally to 6 in 6 games. A penalty-try, along with a one from Matt Eliet, a double from Jack Owlett and 19 points from Ted Landray secured a convincing victory.

This was followed up with a 26-17 victory over South-West rivals Bath a week later, Lawday again getting himself on the scoresheet, before Hartpury were humbled at Topsham in our last home game before Christmas. 7 tries, and 7 points form the boot of Ted Landray secured a 42-10 victory. Exeter rounded off the calendar year with a 22-15 win away at Cardiff Met in Cyncoed.

The new year bought the same winning feeling for Exeter as they thumped Durham 50-17 away from home, hooker Callum Young keeping up the theme of Exeter players scoring braces. This was followed by a home victory over bottom side Leeds Beckett as Tom Lawday notched his tenth try of the season, before the fine run was halted in alarming fashion the following week at Topsham.

Facing a Durham side they had won comfortably against two weeks previously, Exeter appeared to be cruising at Topsham, as they led 22-5 at half-time thanks to scores from Tom Holdsworth and a double from Mike Haines, before a second-half implosion allowed Durham back into the game, the visitors securing a 23-22 victory thanks to a 75th minute penalty.

This defeat was hardly ideal preparation for the annual Varsity fixture at Sandy Park but any fears the Durham defeat could damage momentum were eventually allayed, Exeter securing to a 42-17 bonus-point victory. Leading 20-17 approaching the final quarter, Exeter cut loose with a double from captain Simon Linsell and further tries from Chris Swash and Jack Owlett wrapping up the victory.

Exeter wrapped up their regular season campaign with a 5 try, 29-15 victory away at Northumbria to secure 2nd place in the league and set up a Championship quarter final at Topsham against Cardiff Met.

The match proved to be routine for Exeter, as they thumped their opponents 55-8, scoring 8 tries in the process, including a hattrick from second-row Freddie Hosking.

That victory set up a semi-final clash with rivals Loughborough, with a place at Twickenham on the line. Despite trailing 14-6 and 21-16 in the first half, a Tom Lawday score late on levelled things at the break. Despite the tight first half, Exeter ran riot in the second 40, as Lawday completed his hattrick, Exeter securing a 51-28 victory to send out a warning shot to Hartpury ahead of the final at Twickenham.

And so, to the final, Exeter’s second appearance at Twickenham in succession, this time against regular season winners Hartpury. A strong start from Exeter saw Aaron Bagwell dive in under the posts, before a Matt Eliet try extended the lead to 14-3. A late Hartpury try just before halftime reduced the advantage to 4 points but after the break, a Ted Landry penalty increased the lead to 7 points. Hartpury came back fighting though and hit the front with tries from winger Jonus Mikalcius and a double from Harry Randall to take a 27-17 lead as the game entered its final 10 minutes. A Callum Roberts try with three minutes left dragged Exeter back into the game and they continued to attack from the restart, trying to hunt down a score to win the match. There was to be no repeat of the dramatic scenes of the previous final though as Hartpury’s defence proved too strong, Matt Eliet penalised for holding on near the Hartpury 22 after several phases of Exeter attacks, sealing the title for Hartpury.

Despite the agony of a Twickenham final defeat, this was still an exceptional season for Exeter. Tom Lawday, who graduated into full-time rugby after the match, was jointly named the inaugural BUCS Super Rugby Player of the Season, alongside Hartpury captain and now Italian international Seb Negri. Lawday would go on to sign a professional contract with Exeter Chiefs, before moving to Harlequins. Ted Landray was named Fans Player of the Year, with captain Simon Linsell named in the BUCS Super Rugby Team of the Year alongside Lawday and Landray. Landray also had the honour of being Exeter’s top points scorer, with 191 points across 17 matches, whilst Lawday was named as Exeter’s top try-scorer with 13 in 12 matches.

Join us for Part 2 of BUCS Super Rugby in focus, where we take a look at the 2017/18 season, where Exeter were crowned league champions for the first time.