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Date of birth | 20 December 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 89 kg (196 lb; 14 st 0 lb) [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Clifton College Corpus Christi, Cardiff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | Aston University University of Exeter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (born 20 December 2002) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for Premiership Rugby club Exeter Chiefs and England.
Feyi-Waboso is one of six siblings, born to parents with Nigerian, English and Jamaican heritage. He grew up in Llandaff, Wales. [3]
After school at Clifton College, he initially studied at Aston University, then moved to study medicine at Exeter University.
Feyi-Waboso began playing with Rumney RFC, and played for Cardiff Schools at U-11 and U-15 level. [4]
Feyi-Waboso signed for the Cardiff Blues academy ahead of the 2020–21 season. [5] He made his Cardiff Blues debut in Round 1 of the Pro14 Rainbow Cup against Ospreys. [6] Feyi-Waboso left Cardiff after failing to secure a place in the medical programme at Cardiff University despite strong grades. [7] He instead took a place at Aston University. [7]
On 14 February 2022, Wasps announced the signing of the centre, from the 2022–2023 season onwards. [8] Following Wasps's expulsion from the league due to their administration, Feyi-Waboso was signed by Exeter Chiefs. [9] He made his debut that same month in the Premiership Cup against Bath before making his Premiership debut for the club against London Irish. [10] [11]
In April 2024, he set a new record in the Champions Cup having beaten 13 defenders in Chiefs round of 16 fixture against Bath, the most any player has managed in a single Champions Cup fixture since records began for the competition in 2009. [12] In May 2024, having scored 10 tries throughout the league season, he won Breakthrough Player of the Season. [13] That same monthh, he was named in the Premiership Rugby Team of the Season for the 2023–24 campaign. [14]
In December 2024, he scored from a cross-field kick in the club's opening fixture of the 2024-25 European Rugby Champions Cup in a 39-21 away loss to the Sharks. [15]
Feyi-Waboso represented Wales at U18 and voiced his dream to play for Wales at international level in an article in 2023.
He represents England at international level. He qualified on ancestry grounds. His father is half Nigerian and half English, and his paternal grandmother is from Gloucester. [16]
He received his first call-up to the senior England squad on 17 January 2024 for the 2024 Six Nations Championship. [17] He made his debut on 3 February 2024, in a 27–24 win against Italy in the first round of the Six Nations. [18] He scored his first international try in his third international appearance in a 30-21 loss against Scotland on 24 February 2024 whilst coming off the bench. [19] He made his first start in the match against Ireland on 9 March 2024. In November 2024, he made his autumn nations series debut scoring a try against New Zealand in a narrow 24-22 defeat at Twickenham. This accomplishment meant he had the unfortunate record of having scored three tries, three games in a row against New Zealand and losing all three games. [20] [21]
Try | Opposing team | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
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1 | Scotland | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 2024 Six Nations | 24 February 2024 | 30 - 21 |
2 | Japan | Japan National Stadium, Tokyo | 2024 England rugby union tour of New Zealand | 22 June 2024 | 17 - 52 |
3 | New Zealand | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin | 2024 England rugby union tour of New Zealand | 6 July 2024 | 16 - 15 |
4 | New Zealand | Eden Park, Auckland | 2024 England rugby union tour of New Zealand | 13 July 2024 | 24 - 17 |
5 | New Zealand | Twickenham Stadium, London | 2024 end-of-year rugby union internationals | 2 November 2024 | 22 - 24 |
Born to Nigerian parents in Llandaff, Wales, Feyi-Waboso attended Corpus Christi High school. Apart from rugby, he also showed a talent for hurdles and high jump.
Since 2022, alongside playing for Exeter Chiefs and England, Feyi-Waboso is also studying a medical degree at the University of Exeter. [22] During the 2024 Six Nations, he missed a three day training camp with England to complete a face-to-face exam as part of his studies. [23]
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