Chris Oti

Chris Oti

Full name	Christopher C. Oti
Date of birth	(1965-06-16) 16 June 1965
Place of birth	Paddington, London
Height	180 cm
Weight	83 kg
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Wing Three Quarter
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
1982-1983 1983-1986 1987-1988	Millfield Durham University Cambridge University
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1987-1988 1988-1993	Nottingham Wasps
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1988 - 1991	England	13	(32)
correct as of 14 September 2007.

Chris Oti (born in London on 16 June 1965) is a former English rugby union footballer. He was a rugby winger of prodigious pace who represented England on thirteen occasions between 1988 to 1991. He was a member of the England squad that appeared in the 1991 Rugby World Cup during which he made two appearances.

International career

Chris Oti had a brief career as a top flight rugby union player but nevertheless made a significant contribution to the history of the sport. He was the first black player since James Peters eighty years before to represent England when he made his international debut against Scotland at Murrayfield in March 1988.

In the final game of the 1988 Championship Oti scored a hat trick of tries against Ireland. As Oti scored his final try, a group from the Benedictine school Douai began singing 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot', in honour of Oti. Other sections of the crowd joined in and the negro spiritual has since become an unofficial anthem of the national side.

Oti was capped five times the following season including against Romania when he scored four tries. He was selected for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia but persistent injuries meant that he was not considered for the test side.

In 1991 he was surprisingly picked ahead of Nigel Heslop for the opening World Cup match against New Zealand and kept his place for the following game against Italy. This turned out to be his last international appearance as further injuries curtailed his career.

At club level Oti represented Cambridge University, Nottingham and Wasps.

International Playing Statistics

• 1988 v Scotland (Murrayfield) W 9-6 (5 Nations)
• 1988 v Ireland (Twickenham) W 35-3 (5 Nations)
• 1989 v Scotland (Twickenham) D 12-12 (5 Nations)
• 1989 v Ireland (Dublin) W 16-3 (5 Nations)
• 1989 v France (Twickenham) W 11-0 (5 Nations)
• 1989 v Wales (Cardiff) L 12-9 (Five Nations)
• 1989 v Romania (Bucharest) W 58-3
• 1990 v Argentina (Buenos Aires) W 25-12
• 1990 v Argentina (Buenos Aires) L 15-13
• 1991 v Fiji (Suva) W 28-12
• 1991 v Australia (Sydney) L 40-15
• 1991 v New Zealand (Twickenham) L 18-12 (W.Cup)
• 1991 v Italy (Twickenham) W 36-6 (W.Cup)

• Career Record: P13, W8, D1, L4
• Test Points: 32
• Tries: 8

(R) = Replacement

External links

• Wasps profile
• ESPN Profile