Exeter sign Worcester lock Nkwocha to fill second-row gap left by Tuima's departure

Exeter Chiefs have signed lock Obinna Nkwocha from Championship winners Worcester Warriors on a deal running from the 2026/27 season, the club confirmed this week.

The 23-year-old, who stands 6‘5” and weighs 118kg, scored two tries in 16 appearances for Worcester after two years with Coventry RFC. He originally came through the Saracens Academy before his path to the Premiership took a detour through the third tier.

Director of rugby Rob Baxter pointed to a specific gap in Exeter’s second-row depth as the driving force behind the move. “We have been looking at our second-row options with Rusi Tuima moving on and the international workload that Dafydd [Jenkins] and Andrea [Zambonin] will be taking on this summer and into the autumn,” Baxter said. “We wanted to make sure we are well stocked in the second-row department.”

Baxter acknowledged that Nkwocha’s route back into the top flight — via the Championship rather than directly from an academy — was part of his appeal. “It did not quite work out with Saracens, so he had to rebuild his career with Championship clubs. I really like that. We’ve had numerous players who have dropped out of academies, gone to play with Championship clubs and have had that time growing up, both mentally and physically, and that’s what I’m really seeing when I watch Obinna play.”

While Baxter flagged several young locks already in the system — including Joe Bailey, Oscar Beckerlegg, Lewis Pearson and Harry Wilson, who joins from Saracens — he was clear that Nkwocha is expected to compete immediately. “I am expecting him to come in and challenge all our locks,” Baxter said.

Nkwocha himself framed the signing as a pivotal step in his career. “My time in the Championship has given me an opportunity to learn and develop my game over the past three seasons,” he said. “Making the step up to Exeter will allow me to build on the progress made and also test myself against some of the best players in the country. This move fuels my ambition to reach the top.”

Nkwocha is set to join the Exeter squad when they reassemble for pre-season training at the end of this month.