Sunday Times highlights Exeter rugby talent

Exeter Chiefs and England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been named one of the UK’s 30 most powerful people under 30 by The Sunday Times.

The 22-year-old, who is studying medicine at the University of Exeter while also pursuing a rising career in professional rugby, was praised for his “tenacity and hard work” and joins an elite list of emerging talent from across the UK.

Feyi-Waboso is one of just six sportspeople on the 2025 list, rubbing shoulders with Formula One’s Lando Norris and England footballer Cole Palmer.

“It’s an honour to have been selected alongside so many great individuals from such a wide variety of fields of work,” Feyi-Waboso said of the accolade.

His path to Premiership and international rugby hasn’t been a conventional one. Born in Cardiff and originally part of the Cardiff Blues academy, Feyi-Waboso moved to Wasps in 2022 before joining Exeter after Wasps’ sudden Premiership exit. Since then, his career has taken off.

He made his Chiefs debut in the Premiership Rugby Cup against Bath in 2022, but it was the 2024/25 season where he truly made his mark - crowned Breakthrough Player of the Season, shortlisted for RPA Young Player of the Year, and making his England debut in the Six Nations, where he scored his first Test try in the Calcutta Cup.

In April 2024, he broke a Champions Cup record by beating 13 defenders in a single game.

Away from the pitch, Feyi-Waboso continues to study full-time for his medical degree. “The biggest problem is fitting it all in the day,” he told the Sunday Times, adding that his rugby coaches tend to be more supportive of medicine than his medical tutors are of rugby. “Because obviously we can’t cut corners in medicine.”

The winger gained A*AA at A-level and has previously mentioned a possible interest in specialising in plastic surgery. He’s also learning new languages, including Spanish and Italian.

His advice? “Find what you really want to do - then you can achieve anything.”

Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter praised the winger’s inclusion in the list: “Everyone at the club is proud to see Manny’s hard work – both on the rugby field and at university - be recognised. We’re certain he’ll remain dedicated to both his rugby and educational journeys.”

With his powerful running, natural talent, and academic drive, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso continues to defy expectations – on the field, in the lecture theatre, and now, in the headlines.