It was huge. The stadium was so quiet. I thought, ‘Did I even score?’ It didn’t feel real
IMMANUEL FEYI-WABOSO on his incredible Six Nations impact and his joy at choosing England over woeful Wales
MONTHS after it became the hottest topic in British rugby, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is discussing his heritage and the multi-national family background which explains his decision to represent England over Wales.
It is complex and the 21-yearold Exeter wing is uneasy about how to summarise it all. ‘I don’t want to get it wrong,’ he jokes, after being asked about his grandad’s relocation from Nigeria.
‘He came over and met my English grandma (Margaret Spence Taylor) in Cheltenham and she went over to Nigeria for a bit,’ he says. ‘My dad, his brothers and sisters were educated in Nigeria. My dad went to uni in Ibadan (in Nigeria) then came over. I had a UK upbringing, but it was very Nigerian in the house; the food, culture, the religion.
‘My grandad is dead, so I never met him. I haven’t spoken to my grandma about it much, but you guys have sparked my interest! I should know a bit more.’
So, that is how it all began, but that’s not the full picture. It turns out that Feyi-Waboso has relatives spread across three different continents.
‘My mum is Nigerian,’ he adds. ‘She was living here, but her mum is Jamaican, her dad is Nigerian and everyone on that side lives in America; my aunties and uncles. One auntie still lives in Nigeria, but the rest are in California, one uncle in Alabama, one in Virginia — scattered all over. Dad’s side is all Nigerian but living in England.’
This clarification provides vital context. It shows why a talented rookie who was born and raised in Cardiff felt a strong allegiance to England, rather than Wales.
‘All my dad’s side are English and even when I was younger and playing in Wales, they were like, “You’re going to play for England”,’ says Feyi-Waboso. ‘It’s funny how things turn out. They were all super happy to see me playing for England in the Six Nations. My cousins got to meet Maro Itoje and Ellis Genge, so were really happy with that.’
However, the choice made by the young Exeter Chief back in January — when he told Steve Borthwick that he would accept England’s call-up — was not only based on family ties. It was also about showing loyalty to the country which provided the chance to pursue a rugby career.
‘I have a strong affinity to play for England,’ says Feyi-Waboso. ‘Over the past couple of years, I’ve lived here and England have given me a lot of opportunities and education. I was at Clifton College for a time, and Aston University gave me an opportunity, then Exeter gave me another when Wasps went down.
‘England have just been there the whole time and have always been good to me. I have family here, and my development as a rugby player has been here.’
As a newcomer to the professional game, he was shocked to be the subject of such scrutiny and debate — a reflection of the impact he made in a short time in the Exeter side. ‘ I didn’t expect people to be so interested,’ says Feyi-Waboso.
‘In the end, I’m super happy with my decision. Playing for England is a massive privilege. It’s amazing. Being in Twickenham is crazy. In the Six Nations, Wales did not do as well and for me as a rugby player, England was definitely the choice.
‘There are people (such as Warren Gatland) who say the turnover of wings is high and there’s a bigger pool of players, but you have to back yourself.’
During the Six Nations, Feyi-Waboso captured the imagination of fans and team-mates. Others in Borthwick’s squad spoke with admiration about how well he was doing after such a turbulent journey to the
top of the sport. First, the medical student was rejected by Cardiff University, which meant moving across the border, then he had to find another club when Wasps went bust 18 months ago. He has shown remarkable resilience.
‘The plan was to go to Cardiff Uni, do a part-time course and continue with Cardiff Rugby,’ he says. ‘I didn’t get into Cardiff, so I was like, “What do I do now?”. I moved to Aston in Birmingham and the closest club was Wasps. I was just trying to establish myself in that (academy) squad and playing for Stourbridge. Just as I was about to break into that Wasps team, they went down.
‘I spoke to Rob (Baxter — Exeter’s director of rugby) and he helped me out massively. I would have been without a club, but he said they had a great connection with Exeter University. I still wanted to do medicine. Rob and the uni made it happen.’
GIVEN his family’s medical credentials, it is no surprise that Feyi-Waboso was determined to pursue that career. ‘I don’t know if I was nudged into medicine subconsciously, but it’s always something I’ve wanted to do,’ he adds.
‘My brother is a doctor. He’s five years older than me. He went to Exeter. It’s weird how we’ve come here and done the same thing.
‘My dad is a doctor, an ophthalmologist, and my grandad was a gynaecologist. My uncle is a doctor, my auntie is an optician. It was inevitable, I guess!’
After his impressive first start for England culminated in victory over Grand Slam-chasing Ireland at Twickenham, Feyi-Waboso was said to have sensibly stood himself down after developing concussion symptoms, meaning he missed the Championship finale against France. He laughs at the suggestion it was a self-diagnosis, but he had enough maturity to report the symptoms and accept it meant he had to withdraw.
‘I’d have loved to have played against France,’ he says. ‘The atmosphere looked crazy and it was an unbelievable game. I was watching at home — in uni halls. It was an abrupt end to the camp, but I enjoyed it so much. It was tough watching that France game after the high of Ireland.’
That hadn’t been the only high. Feyi-Waboso came off the bench at Murrayfield to score his first Test try in the defeat against Scotland. It was an early indication of his predatory instincts. ‘When you look up and see what is in front of you, your body just takes over,’ he says.
‘That try was very much in the moment. I saw two people vacate and it was a three-on-two. It was loud, so I don’t know how Ben Spencer heard me, but I was like, “Ball up, ball up” — he found me, and I was straight through. It was a huge moment for me. But in the moment, the stadium was so quiet. I thought, “Did I even score?”. It didn’t feel real.’
So much of what has happened barely feels real. Rewind a few months and Feyi-Waboso was trying to become a fixture in the Exeter side. now he is a poster-boy for England’s brave new attacking world. ‘It’s been a quick transition,’ he says. ‘You say I’m a Test player, but I feel like I still have a long way to go to be a proper Test player. I’m not an established Premiership player. I haven’t played at Saracens yet!’
That will surely happen soon, especially if Exeter win at Sale tomorrow, to take another step towards the Premiership playoffs, before trying to reach the last eight of the Champions Cup. When the club season is over, Feyi-Waboso will wrap up his medical tasks, then join England’s crusade to Japan and new Zealand.
‘My last written exam is June 10 and the first tour game is on the 22nd,’ he says. ‘Hopefully, I’ll get it done so I can focus on my rugby.’
For someone who is not giving the sport his undivided attention, he is having quite some impact. ‘The world is his oyster,’ says Baxter. That is undoubtedly true.