Will Chudley believes ‘the sky is the limit’ for Bath Rugby, as he embarks on his first season with the Club.
The scrum-half, who lifted the Premiership title with Exeter Chiefs in 2017, is excited to see Bath realise their potential over the next few seasons.
Chudley said: “The sky is the limit with this Club. If you look at the squad, there’s lots of quality there and the hunger to achieve is 100% there. It’s exciting for me to be part of this journey and I’m very much looking forward to it. The boys and coaches have been really welcoming and there’s a real positive vibe around the place, which is great to be part of.
“There are lots of similarities (between Bath Rugby and Exeter). All the boys and coaches are really hungry and putting we’re all putting our best foot forward. Hopefully it will lead to a big year – there are always going to be small differences, but there’s more than one way to skin a cat. It’s really refreshing – new voices and new players and that’s the most exciting thing for me.”
Chudley will compete for the number nine shirt and believes that the competition for the starting shirt will only drive the team forward over the course of the season.
“As a group of nines we’re working really hard together and we’re only going to push each other in terms of competition going into the season.
“Hopefully I can bring a bit of energy and tempo to the game and I’d like to think I’m a pretty good decision maker. I’m really looking forward to playing a different brand of rugby – Girvan Dempsey has come in and we got a lot of clarity straight away in terms of what we want from our attack. That’s great for a nine, because it means you can play your own game within that.”
The experienced half-back is also relishing the prospect of facing some of Europe’s big guns, with Leinster, Wasps and Toulouse in waiting for Bath in the Heineken Champions Cup.
“We’ve just got to play to our strengths and back ourselves. You want to play against the best and benchmark yourself against the best, so it’s a huge opportunity for us.
“Bath started really well last year in the opening few games, so it’s important to get the results early on and carry that through to put you in the knock-out stages. It’s a game-by-game mentality, but it would be a great experience to get out of the group.”
Chudley is no stranger to the Rec having been on the opposing side with Exeter, and admits that he’s looking forward to pulling on the Blue, Black and White in September.
“I’m really excited about playing at the Rec - it’s a very prestigious place to play. It’s right in the centre of the City and everyone walks in for matchdays – it’s an incredible experience. I’ve played here before and the atmosphere was crazy, so it will be nice to be on the home team for a change.”
