Sam Simmonds and Luke Cowan-Dickie departures 'huge loss' for Exeter
- Published
Joe Simmonds (right) has been a team-mate of his brother Sam (left) throughout his Exeter career
Exeter fly-half Joe Simmonds says his brother Sam and fellow England player Luke Cowan-Dickie leaving the club in the summer will be a "huge loss".
The pair, who both toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2021, will join French champions Montpellier.
"We need to make the most of this year with them and see how far we can get and hopefully send them off with trophies and some silverware," he said.
"You can't take it away, they're going to be a huge loss for us."
Simmonds added to BBC Radio Devon: "But we've got to look forward - we've got some good youngsters coming through, exciting players.
"So although we're going to be losing some pretty big players I think we're going to be alright for it because we've got some good youngsters coming through."
Joe, who captained Exeter to their Premiership and European Champions Cup double in 2020 when brother Sam was named European Player of the Year, says he has no plans to follow his brother out of Sandy Park.
But the 25-year-old understands the decision of his older brother to try something new at the age of 28.
"All we've known is playing with each other and we've lived together and grown up together, so it will be different," he said.
"But I think it's an experience for him to get out of his comfort zone a little bit, he's just had a little girl as well so for his family it'll be nice for a little change up.
"We've got family in Exeter so this is always a place he can come down and live maybe in the future, but I think for now he just wants to experience things and I think it's the right move for him."
Sam Simmonds and Luke Cowan-Dickie were part of England's squad in the recent autumn Tests
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter also bears no ill-will towards Simmonds or Cowan-Dickie for leaving the club they made their names at.
The pair, who came up through Exeter's academy system, became just the second and third homegrown Chiefs players to play for the British and Irish Lions in 2021, four years after Jack Nowell's call-up.
"We're in a cycle where there's got to be an understanding that this is likely to happen," Baxter told BBC Sport.
"These guys have had an extended period with us, they've gone on to be successful individual players and in a successful team.
"At this stage in their career at the same time as the salary cap is going down and salaries in England are coming under pressure for players, if you're a big team in another country who want to bring in an international player who's had experience of winning trophies we've got a few of those and they're going to get targeted by teams.
"None of them go with any clouds over it, we have an expectation that that's what's likely to happen."