Tyler Offiah, son of rugby league legend Martin, will join Bath on a three-year deal after rejecting interest from Leicester Tigers, Gloucester, Sale Sharks and Wigan Warriors.
The 17-year-old player, who played for the England Under-18 Team at the Six Nations Rugby Festival held in Italy recently, is currently at the London and South Central Academy, which was established after the demise of the London Irish team last year and is funded by the London and South Central Academy. part of. Rugby Football Union.
The 1.80m tall winger has attracted interest from several leading Gallagher Premiership clubs; these included a visit to Leicester and Sale, as well as training with rugby league giants Wigan, where his father achieved legendary status with his remarkable try-scoring.
But Telegraph Sport can reveal he has turned down offers elsewhere and will join Bath in July.
Offiah is currently studying to complete his A-Levels at Wellington College and has received an offer from the University of Bath to study Politics and International Relations. His rugby commitments will continue alongside his studies.
Several University of Bath students have made their Premiership debuts for Bath Rugby in recent seasons, including Max Ojomoh, son of former England winger Steve.
Exclusive interview: ‘I want to be better than my father’
Tyler Offiah is starting to progress in what looks to be a very promising rugby career and the imposing 17-year-old winger doesn’t have to look far for inspiration.
He sits down at the family home in Ealing with his father Martin, who scored 501 tries during a remarkable rugby league career, and reflects on their journey.
Offiah senior’s exploits with all-conquering Wigan in the early 1990s earned him a huge collection of winners’ medals, legendary 13-a-side status and an MBE from Buckingham Palace. He is immortalized in a bronze statue outside Wembley Stadium, which also features four of the league’s greatest players of all time, including Eric Ashton, Billy Boston, Alex Murphy and Gus Risman.
“I don’t know what trophies my dad won, but I do know he scored 501 tries,” says Tyler, who helped the England Under-18s to three wins at the Six Nations Rugby Festival in Italy. “I saw the highlights and people said to me, ‘You don’t even know half of the things this guy does,’ and it’s true.
“I’ve never watched a full game of yours, just clips, but it’s definitely inspiring. One of my goals is to be better than my father. Yeah, that’s definitely a driving force for me.”
This brings a wry smile from Martin, 58, who was born in Hackney to Nigerian parents and attended Woolverstone Hall School in Suffolk, where he showed talent at fencing, cricket and rugby union.
He played for Ipswich RFC and Rosslyn Park before playing for the Barbarians and on the rugby sevens tour where he was discovered by Widnes, who signed him ahead of the 1987–88 rugby league season.
Wigan then paid a world record £440,000 for Offiah in 1991 and he went on to win four Challenge Cups, five league titles, one World Club Challenge and score 186 tries in 159 appearances (see YouTube video below).
Martin, whose deadly finish earned him the nickname ‘Chariots Offiah’, says he is in a different situation than when he played the two codes.
“Rugby union is highly professional these days, but it wasn’t like that in my day, so I moved north to play rugby league,” explains senior Offiah.
“Tyler is a completely different winger for me; He’s much bigger and stronger than me. We’re on separate journeys and Tyler is on his way to a reunion, so people ask him ‘are you as fast as your dad?’ they will ask. This is a little frustrating for Tyler, but that’s just the lie.
“I have a wealth of knowledge that I can pass on to Tyler and he is learning from the England and Academy coaches. I always say, ‘Take the information you like, don’t take the things you don’t like’.
“Then you will definitely be your own man, not anyone’s clone. Am I proud of what Tyler did? “It certainly is.”
Telegraph Sport can reveal Tyler will join Bath this summer on a three-year contract but exams are first on the horizon.
“Right now it’s about focusing on my A Levels in PE, Maths and Economics,” the Wellington College student explains. “I’ve been offered a degree in Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath, so I need to get my grades for that.”
Studying at Bath and trying to make the grades at first-team level will be a bit of a challenge, but the youngster is unfazed. He is currently brimming with confidence after impressing for Jonathan Pendlebury’s England Under-18s in Italy, spending 13 days in camp from March 26 to April 8, beating Wales, Scotland and Georgia.
Martin, who traveled to Italy to support Tyler, adds: “It was good for him to experience being in camp; get up, train – eat, sleep, repeat. You enjoyed it, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Tyler replies. “I scored a try against Wales in the first game and then scored against Scotland and Georgia.
“It was a great experience but it was hard trying to recover from the heat in Italy!”
The youngster is currently part of the Rugby Football Union-funded London and South Central academy, which was set up following the dissolution of the London Irish team last year. He joined Ealing Trailfinders aged five and previously attended St Benedict’s School, but is now expected to move to Bath this summer.
Tyler, whose 14-year-old brother Phoenix is part of Brentford FC’s development system, admits he sets big goals for himself.
“I’m definitely very ambitious, I write all my goals in a journal,” Tyler says. “These include playing for the England senior team, going on the British and Irish Lions tour and becoming the top goalscorer in Premiership history.
“Chris Ashton (see Instagram video below), who had my dad send me a video message wishing me well in my career, holds the Premiership record with over 100 tries but I would love to beat that. Rory Underwood holds the British record with 49 and I want to beat him too.
“I’m definitely aiming for the top. If you’re not, what are you doing?”
Tyler, who also works as a model, is an avid follower of rugby league, NRL and American Football.
“I played in the league for the Richmond Warriors a few summers when I was younger,” Tyler adds. “I watch a lot of NRL games and I’m a Brisbane Broncos supporter, so if that becomes an option in the future it’s definitely something I’ll consider.
“I’m also looking at what Louis Rees-Zammit is doing in the NFL. I play a little bit of American Football for the London Blitz – I’m a wide receiver – so that’s another option for the future.
“I’m settled in rugby union at the moment but one day I’ll definitely like the look of the NRL and NFL.”
Inter-code family relationships
Andy and Owen Farrell
An iconic player for Wigan Warriors, Andy joined Saracens and represented England at the 2007 Rugby World Cup before moving on to coach England and Ireland.
His son Owen, 32, went on to have an excellent career in the union, making 112 appearances as England captain. He will leave Saracens at the end of the season to join Racing 92.
Freddie and Manu Tuilagi
Samoan-born Freddie, 52, played in the league for Halifax and St Helens before joining Leicester Tigers and starting a family dynasty.
Brother Manu, the youngest of the six Tuilagi brothers, made a name for himself by playing 60 times for England at Welford Road. Henry, Alesana, Andy and Vavae have represented Samoa, while Manu’s nephew Posolo recently played for France in the Six Nations.
Mike and George Ford
Ford senior was an outstanding 13-a-side halfback, playing for the likes of Wigan and Castleford before becoming a respected union coach at England and Bath.
His son George is regarded as one of the best halves of his generation, having won 96 caps for England.
Jason Robinson and Lewis Tierney
Robinson became an all-time cross-code great after leaving Wigan to join Sale and helping England to World Cup glory in 2003.
His son Lewis, whose stepfather is Premier League referee Paul Tierney, played for Wigan, Catalans Dragons and in the league in Scotland.