James Hanks & Ben White commit to Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs have agreed contract extensions with lock James Hanks and back-rower Ben White.

The pair have signed deals that will keep them at Sandy Park until 2015.

White, 29, is in his second season with the Chiefs and is currently out of action with a knee injury picked up in the win over Harlequins.

Hanks, 28, is one of the Chiefs' longest-serving players having made his debut against the Cornish Pirates in 2005 while at Exeter University.

"I'm really delighted, I think you can see ambition of the club, where it's going and the ambition of the players here," Hanks told BBC South West Sport.

"It's becoming a place where people want to come and play. We've achieved a few things in the last few years and the club are on an upward trend."

The duo join the likes of Phil Dollman and Carl Rimmer in signing new deals with the club.

Head coach Rob Baxter is delighted to have retained the services of White and is looking forward to Hanks adding to his 176 appearances.

"Hanksy has been here a long time. He's been one of the core members of the team that moved through the Championship into the Premiership. He's a good club man and still developing as a player," he said.

White has made 31 Exeter appearances since joining in 2011 and was a try-scorer in the victory over Premiership champions Harlequins.

"He's a guy we brought in while we've been in the Premiership but he's another very popular member of the squad," Baxter continued.

"Without being unlucky with injury he was starting to push James Scaysbrook very hard."