Waratahs lock Dean Mumm won the last of his 33 Wallabies caps in 2010 © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Dean Mumm

Tournaments/Tours: Super Rugby | Aviva Premiership

Teams: Australia | England | Exeter Chiefs | New South Wales Waratahs

Exeter may be in the thick of the battle for this season's Aviva Premiership crown but that has not stopped them planning for the next campaign with the signing of former Wallabies international Dean Mumm on a two-year deal.

The 28-year-old, who won the last of his 33 Test caps against England in 2010, is set to join the Chiefs from the Sydney-based Waratahs at the end of the current Super Rugby campaign.

Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has identified Mumm as a key addition to the playing ranks as his side look forward to taking the latest step in their development next season when they will grace the Heineken Cup for the first time.

"He's a very good signing for us and a very good player," commented Baxter, whose side are vying with Northampton Saints for the final spot in this season's Premiership play-offs. "We've been watching him since the start of the Super 15 season and, not only is he a back-five forward coming into his physical prime, he's also vastly experienced and a good leader.

"We've looked a lot at him and we believe he has got a lot of ingredients that we want him to bring to the club. Personally, I think it's a great credit to what the players have achieved this season - and where we are as a club right now - that a guy of that standing wants to come and play his rugby here in Exeter."

Baxter has been on the look-out to bolster his second-row options following the recent retirement of Peter Short and the news that Chris Bentley is to hang up his professional boots at the end of the season and so the versatile Mumm, who can also play in the back-row, is a welcome addition.

"The reality is we are losing a couple of second rows come the end of the season, so there is no way you can go into either a Premiership or Heineken Cup campaign with only three frontline second rows, which is where we are at the moment," explained Baxter. "The arrival of Dean will takes us to four, but I'd say we're still a little light in terms of the back five, so we may well add another couple of people in that area."

Mumm is the fourth new arrival confirmed by the Chiefs for next season, where he'll join Doncaster duo Alex Brown and Jack Yeandle, as well as Ulster's Ian Whitten in moving to Sandy Park this summer.