Former Ulster Rugby and Ireland international centre Ian Whitten on the gamble that turned into silverware

Whitten had represented Ulster 63 times between making his debut against Stade Francais in 2008 and 2012 but decided his future lay across the Irish Sea.

There were plenty of suitors for the abrasive centre’s signature – Gloucester were interested but wanted Whitten as back up to English World Cup winner Mike Tindall and big spending Ospreys were also sniffing around, but the midfielder chose Exeter Chiefs and teamed up with former Queen’s out-half Gareth Steenson to make the Sandy Park club a force in European and English Rugby.

Five years after joining Exeter and seven years after the Devon were promoted to top-flight for the first time in their history, the Chiefs were crowned champions of England and it’s a day Whitten describes as the best of his career.

“It didn’t get any better than that, because the double we won there was no crowd,” he said. “In 2017 there was a crowd and everyone was there.

“The celebrations after are what you remember and that’s what makes it special.

“Steeno kicked the winning penalty and we had to play 100 minutes to win that.

"I remember feeling the pressure because we had beaten Saracens at home in the semi-final and it just felt like if we don’t win it now, we’re never going to do it.

“Although it was Wasps and they had finished top of the table by miles that year and clearly of 22 games they were the best team, it just felt it was our best chance and we got there – and it didn’t get any better than that for me.

“I just remember hitting the deck because I was exhausted.

"We’d beat Saracens in the last minute the week before then played 100 minutes after that.

"It was 30 degrees in London that day, so it was really hot.

“I went up to the stand with my family, so I didn’t get into the changing room to sing the song so don’t really remember any of that.

“If I could relive that again I would go back and not be so tired I’d loved to do that.”

It was a night of celebration in Exeter.

“Steeno’s bar didn’t exist at that stage,” he laughed. “We went two days.

"We ended up in the main bar street in Exeter. There was a band on and Geoff Parling got up and sang a couple of songs with them.

"That is the main thing I remember. It was good, and we enjoyed ourselves.”

Three years later, Exeter were again crowned English champions and conquered Europe.

“The one frustrating thing about the double year was that we couldn’t have friends or family there (due to Covid) to celebrate with,” he added. “We didn’t do so well against Irish teams in Europe and that is maybe why we didn’t do so well in Europe over all, but against French teams we did do well.

“To win it that year we beat La Rochelle twice, Toulouse then Racing, so we beat the three biggest French clubs at the time.

“The Toulouse semi-final is probably one of the best games I ever played for Exeter – that sticks out for me more than the final.

“That Toulouse team won it the next year with Jerome Kanio, (Antoine) Dupont, (Roman) Ntamack, it was a star-studded team and to win that match against them was a real career highlight.

"Racing were good as well as they had (Virimi) Vakatawa, (Finn) Russell, (Teddy) Iribaren, (Simon) Zebo, so that was a pretty good back line too and they were within a couple of weeks of each other.

“I have never been as nervous before that because in 2017 I thought I might get another shot at it, but by this time I was 33 years old and knew this was it – this was my one shot at it and I didn’t sleep.

“It was just weird at the end. You lift the cup and go mental but there is nobody there.

“Tony Rose (Exeter CEO) was allowed in and a couple of other directors.”

From the dizzy heights of winning English championships and European Cups, Whitten has returned to Instonians – the club where it all began – to play with his three brothers Alan, Robert and David and is enjoying being back in the amateur ranks.

“I was on the bench the other week at Clogher Valley and a couple of boys with their dogs came over to talk to me and I couldn’t tell you anything that happened in the first half as we were chatting,” he said. “I thought that was absolutely fantastic.

“It’s nice to just play for fun without pressure.

“It’s nice to finish like that and not remember rugby as always being so intense, so pressurised.

“The one nice thing I would say about it as well is that Des O’Donnell taught me mini-rugby at Shane Park back in the day – that was 25 years ago.

"Now, his son (Keith) is president of the club and his grandson Rhys is the nine.”

“That is so nice and shows you that rugby in Ulster is really a big family, a close community and it’s the same with this club.

“I knew the Clogher Valley prop – I played with him at Queen’s.

“Right enough most of the guys I used to run around with are coaching now but they’re still around so I can go and play at any club and I’ll know someone, and I can chat with them after the match.

“That’s the best thing about it – playing for fun with people I remember, people who I grew up with and people who I can still have a bit of craic with.”