| Born | (1998-10-09)9 October 1998 (age 27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 93 kg (205 lb; 14 st 9 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Stonyhurst College Harrow School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elliott Obatoyinbo (born 9 October 1998) is anEnglish professionalrugby union player, who currently plays as aback forPremiership Rugby sideNewcastle Falcons.[1]
Obatoyinbo was born to anEnglish mother and aNigerian father, Iby, a founding member of the invitationalrugby sevens team Racing Club Academy.[2] He has a younger brother named Harrison, who plays rugby forTop 14 clubToulon inFrance.[3]
As a child, Obatoyinbo attendedStonyhurst College inLancashire, before switching toHarrow School. While at Harrow, he played rugby under the tutelage of the formerNorthampton Saints andLondon Irish centre and retiredScotland international,Joe Ansbro, who is also of African descent.[2] His teammates at the school included fellow futureSaracens academy graduatesAndy Christie,Sean Reffell andManu Vunipola.[4]
Obatoyinbo has representedEngland at age-grade level, playing for theU18 andU20 teams.[5]
Obatoyinbo was recruited into theSaracens youth system in 2016. As part of his early rugby development, he spent the summer of 2018 inNew Zealand, playing with the academy ofNational Provincial Championship sideWellington Lions.[5]
Shortly after his 20th birthday, Obatoyinbo made his first-team debut for Saracens on 27 October 2018, in aPremiership Rugby Cup match againstLeicester Tigers. During that season, he also spent time out on loan, helpingAmpthill RUFC to achieve promotion fromNational League 1, and featuring forLondon Scottish in theRFU Championship.[6] In addition, he was part of the Saracens Storm team that won thePremiership Rugby Shield in 2019.[2] The following year, Obatoyinbo signed a new contract with Saracens and graduated into the club's senior squad.[7]
On the 12 September 2022 he signed a short-term withNewcastle Falcons.[8]
Obatoyinbo is an avidscratch golfer and is a member atHarpenden Common Golf Club.[6] He previously competed at theJunior Open Championship, and said he had considered pursuing a professional golf career, before going full-time with rugby.[4]
Obatoyinbo is also a keen artist, with his works based onAfrican art. His inspirations include British-born painterChris Ofili and Nigerian creatorBruce Onobrakpeya.[4]