When Immanuel Feyi-Waboso latched onto a long pass to touch down against the All Blacks in Japan this summer, it was a fitting moment to mark the 21-year-old Exeter Chiefs player’s rapid career ascent.
'It's been crazy,' says the lightning-quick winger. 'My life's changed quite a lot but it's been really fun with loads of amazing memories. I feel like this has been the best year of my life so far.'
Just 18 months ago, Immanuel was on loan from Exeter Chiefs at semi-professional side, Taunton Titans, where he competed in a National League 1 relegation decider in front of around 1,000 fans, helping to save the Somerset side from demotion.
He returned to Exeter Chiefs and made his debut in November 2022, going on to score six tries in 14 matches. He now plays regularly in front of over 10,000 people at Sandy Park.
'The next big moment was speaking to Steve on the phone. I was like, "Oh, wow, he's actually speaking to me,’ and I then I got called up to play for England. All of the little benchmarks I hit this year were crazy.'
Little wonder that he won Breakthrough Player of the Season at the Premiership Rugby Awards in May 2024.
Cardiff’s loss was Exeter’s gain. Exeter Chiefs worked hand in hand with the University of Exeter to secure Immanuel a place to read medicine. The city has welcomed him with open arms.
Immanuel has become part of a strong friendship group at Exeter Chiefs, including Welsh captain Dafydd Jenkins, Henry Slade and Ross Vintcent. 'It is a good group, and we're all learning things from each other. And we are really close knit. Obviously, being the same age helps, and a lot of the boys went to Exeter Uni as well.'
Juggling a testing medical degree with being a full-time athlete is not easy, but Immanuel is learning how to manage the twin demands. 'Balancing the two has definitely been made easier by the club and the Uni working together. It’s still not easy, but time management is something that I've been working on.'
For his second year, Immanuel plans to move into a house with one of his university friends, and his brother, who has secured a job in Devon. 'The new house is in Exeter, so it'll give me the chance to get to know a different area than I've been in before.'
It seems university life suits him. 'It's a really nice environment. The campus is a green place, and from everything I've experienced so far, all of the students and staff are nice and friendly, as well as willing to help.'
He is thriving. In February 2024, Immanuel came off the bench make his England debut and score his first international try, touching down against Scotland in the Guinness Six Nations. His first England start came against Ireland a couple of weeks later. Despite being Welsh-born, his half-Nigerian father and maternal English grandmother mean he is eligible to represent England, a move which also minimises disruption to his medical studies.
Exeter Chiefs has a 23-game unbeaten home record which came to an end in January 2024 when they lost to Northampton Saints.
Immanuel believes Cardiff and Exeter have some similarities and he is a fan of his new home city. 'I really like Exeter - it’s a great place.'
And while his star is rising, he describes himself as 'not that big a deal' - he can still walk around Exeter without being stopped by fans. 'If you see Henry Slade in Exeter, obviously he'll get stopped, and Jack Nowell was the same, but for me it's not really like that.'
'I haven't had the chance to explore that much of Devon yet, if I'm honest, though, I have been able to take a few nice walks in Dartmoor and a few trips to the beach. I keep hearing that North Devon beaches are a must-see, so hopefully I'll have the chance to check them out.'
Immanuel’s life has settled into a rhythm. 'I'm doing well education wise, on the field, and then outside of that, my social life is really good, I have a good group of boys around me. Everything's just seeming to go in the right direction. I'm just scared for a drop now!'
As the Chiefs gather pace on their Premiership campaign, the autumn internationals in November are also looming, with England kicking off against New Zealand. If selected, Immanuel and his international teammates might be seeking justice after losing twice against the All Blacks on their summer tour.
The same can be said for Exeter Chiefs. The average attendance at Sandy Park’s Premiership games grew by over 1,000 people last season, testament to the exciting young squad which is starting to find its feet. With many of the old guard departed — including familiar Devon-born faces such as Jack Nowell and brothers, Sam and Joe Simmonds — a new wave of talent is hoping to write history.
As Chiefs’ director of rugby, Rob Baxter said in August: 'I want to come out at the end of season and go "we're better, our young players have matured further, they're more experienced".' Immanuel echoes this sentiment: 'We want to be better on and off the field this year. I think we have high expectations for ourselves as well.'
Immanuel certainly seems at home in Devon. That said, he admits to not yet having tried a cream tea, responding to the inevitable jam/cream first question with, 'I don’t know what order I would choose!' He still has a lot to learn after all.
