Exeter Chiefs winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has committed his long-term future to the club, signing a contract extension.
The breakout international star, fresh from his debut for England in the 2024 Guinness Six Nations, ensures he will be a part of Chiefs’ plans for the foreseeable future.
The 21-year-old has been a stand-out performer for the Exeter men this season with six tries already to his name and thousands of social media views of his gravity-defying scores like that which he scored against Northampton Saints at Sandy Park in January 2024.
Brought into the Exeter fold in October 2022 following the demise of Wasps, Feyi-Waboso made his Chiefs debut against Bath Rugby in a Premiership Cup clash just a month later.
Despite the trials of an initial move from Cardiff to Wasps then on to Devon, the winger showed he had lost none of his pace, skill or drive as he hit the ground running at Chiefs.
Director of Rugby Rob Baxter always saw potential in the young winger and sees his recent success as the latest step on a rugby journey which still has many more highlights to come.
“We’re really pleased with Immanuel’s re-signing. People are probably aware we’ve been looking to bring in young players to reduce the age of our squad in more recent times.
“With what happened at Wasps, when we looked at their players the individuals we looked at mainly were those we saw as the talented players in their academy. We looked at a lot of their Premiership Cup games – saw Immanuel, Greg [Fisilau] and Alfie Bell standing out.
“Particularly with Immanuel, we knew he was interested in what our university route could provide. So, the planning stages of a route for him to come through worked really well for us. The University of Exeter have been fantastic in helping us align everything for Immanuel around his medical degree.
“Ultimately, we saw a player who had massive physical attributes and huge potential but hadn’t played a lot of rugby. We hoped that we could give him that game time and that opportunity, then hopefully he would come through and obviously things have happened very quickly for him – which I’m delighted with.
“It’s great to know that he’s going to be here long term and hopefully we can really help him with his rugby development so that he can go on to get many more England caps and see what else he can achieve down the line. So, it’s a very exciting signing for the club and bodes very well for the future.”
Feyi-Waboso is the latest player to commit his future to Chiefs, allowing him to continue his studies at the University of Exeter and remain in the picture for Steve Borthwick’s England plans.
Every England player ranked from best to worst on their 2024 Six Nations performance
In the opening rounds of the Six Nations, Borthwick’s revamped lineup struggled on the attack, tallying a mere six tries.
However, a remarkable turnaround unfolded as England surged, bagging seven tries against formidable opponents Ireland and France, both ranked second and fourth in the world.
These victories against top-ranked nations highlight substantial progress for the English side.
Below, the squad is meticulously ranked from top-tier performers to those falling short. Among the standout talents, Ben Earl emerges as the epitome of excellence.
| vs Italy | vs Wales | vs Scotland | vs Ireland | vs France | Average rating | |
| Ben Earl | 7 | 8 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 8 | 7.8 |
| George Martin | / | / | 7 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.666666667 |
| Ollie Lawrence | / | / | 5.5 | 9 | 8 | 7.5 |
| Marcus Smith | / | / | / | 8 | 6.5 | 7.25 |
| Tommy Freeman | 7.5 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 7 | 8 | 7.1 |
| Alex Mitchell | 6.5 | 7 | / | 7.5 | 7 | 7 |
| Ellis Genge | / | 7 | 5.5 | 7 | 8 | 6.875 |
| Immanuel Feyi-Waboso | 6 | / | 6.5 | 8 | / | 6.833333333 |
| Jamie George | 6 | 7.5 | 6 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.8 |