Baxter backs Feyi-Waboso to star for England at World Cup
Exeter boss Rob Baxter believes Immanuel Feyi-Waboso can be one of England's stars at next summer's World Cup if he stays fit this season, as reported by BBC.
Feyi-Waboso is 23. He plays winger for Exeter Chiefs, the pace job out wide where teams hunt tries, rugby's five-point scores. He helped Exeter reach last season's Premiership final, the showpiece for England's top club league at Twickenham.
Fitness is the big if. He missed the Six Nations, the yearly contest between England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy, after suffering a hamstring injury in early February. He then fractured his jaw at Leicester at the end of May. That blow ruled him out of Exeter's final regular-season game and their play-off semi-final win at Bath.
He fought his way back. Feyi-Waboso was cleared to feature in the Premiership final against Northampton. He returned to play for Exeter at Twickenham and then turned out for England in Nations Championship matches.
Baxter's message is straightforward. Put together a run of games and he can be a force when the World Cup comes around. The numbers show why Exeter are so keen to keep him on the field.
Last season he played 28 games for club and country. That is his most since the 2023-24 campaign. He scored 13 tries in all competitions. The contrast with the year before is stark. His 2024-25 season was disrupted by a shoulder injury suffered just before Christmas that kept him out until summer 2025.
There was a bright start to this season. Feyi-Waboso scored Exeter's final try in a 33-28 friendly win at Cardiff last week on his return after a summer break. It was a sharp reminder of his finishing power.
Exeter need more of it. They reached the Premiership play-offs for the first time since 2021 last season and made the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup, the continent's second-tier club competition. A fit Feyi-Waboso gives them a cutting edge.
What makes this stand out for England is timing. World Cup years reward wings who arrive with rhythm and confidence. Stay healthy, keep scoring, and the 23-year-old will give England real momentum out wide.
