WalesOnline reported earlier this week that the player was a target for a Welsh side
12:20, 12 Feb 2026Updated 12:21, 12 Feb 2026
Christ Tshiunza of Wales(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)
Rob Baxter has admitted reports linking Christ Tshiunza with a return to Cardiff “could be entirely true” as Exeter Chiefs wrestle with Premiership regulations that have forced their hand.
The Wales international is out of contract at the end of the season and has yet to agree a new deal at Sandy Park, with WalesOnline reporting earlier this week he could head back to the Welsh capital.
Tshiunza, 24, was part of Cardiff’s academy system before moving to Exeter via the University of Exeter and has been tipped to replace Ben Donnell, who is bound for Ulster.
And while Baxter stopped short of confirming a move, he did little to dampen the talk.
“He is off contract at the end of this season with us, and we haven’t re-signed him. So those rumours could be entirely true, but I couldn’t tell you if they are,” the Chiefs director of rugby said.
The situation is complicated by the Premiership’s England-Qualified Player (EQP) regulations. Clubs must maintain an average of 15 EQPs in their 23-man matchday squad across the season or face a £250,000 fine — a significant financial hit.
Baxter made clear that balancing those numbers is a major factor in Exeter’s squad planning.
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“The tough one with Christ, really, I don’t mind saying, our EQP numbers are quite tight and making sure that we have that balance in the squad, because for us, it’s very, very important that we keep the funding for the EQP balance,” he explained.
“When you look at the make-up, particularly in our forwards, where our frontline players are, especially when you see guys like Bachuki Tchumbadze coming through, who obviously is non-EQP.
“We’ve signed Nika Abuladze, who is obviously non-EQP, to make our frontline forwards as strong as we have. At some stage, EQP becomes quite an important factor for us.
“And obviously, Zambo (Andrea Zambonin) is going well with Daff (Dafydd Jenkins) in the second row. Tom Hooper is going well in the back row. You know, we start to fill up our non-EQP quota pretty quickly.
“So that’s the challenge with keeping Christ. We have to hit an average of 15 across the season. But it’s no different to every other club in the league. You have to make decisions on where your numbers are.”
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Tshiunza, who was born in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and educated at Whitchurch High School in Cardiff, has endured a frustrating spell with injuries in recent seasons.
He missed the 2022 Six Nations and has made just three appearances this term, having been sidelined since September with a recurring foot problem. He has recently returned to running, although Exeter are wary of pushing him too hard and risking surgery.
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