Luther Banks Obi
Full nameLuther Banks Olisa St Charles Obi
Date of birth (1993-04-29) 29 April 1993
Place of birthAba, Nigeria
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight90 kg (14 st 2 lb; 198 lb)
SchoolSt Benedict's College
UniversityUniversity of South Africa (LLB)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Winger
Current team Griquas
Youth career
2006–2009 Golden Lions
2012 Leopards
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013–2014 NWU Pukke 16 (45)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013–2014 Leopards 23 (90)
2015 Eastern Province Kings 13 (25)
2016–2017 Blue Bulls XV 2 (0)
2017 Free State XV 7 (25)
2017–2018 Cheetahs 7 (10)
2017 Free State Cheetahs 3 (5)
2019–2021 Pumas 8 (10)
2022– Griquas 28 (35)
Correct as of 10 July 2022
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013 South Africa Under-20 5 (20)
Correct as of 13 April 2018

Luther Banks St Charles Obi (born 29 April 1993) is a Nigerian-born South African professional rugby union player for the Griquas in the Currie Cup and the Rugby Challenge.[1] His regular position is as a winger.

Luther represented the Junior Springboks at the 2013 Junior Rugby World Championships; impressive performances saw the winger finish the Championships as the second leading try scorer.

Luther has attained his LLB Law degree from The University of South Africa (UNISA); making him one of few professional rugby players with a higher qualification.

The Nigerian-born winger has been capped in: Super Rugby, Pro14, Currie Cup, Vodacom Cup, Supersport Challenge, and Varsity Cup.

Career

Youth and Varsity rugby

As a student at St Benedict's College in Bedfordview, Obi represented the Golden Lions in youth competitions. He played for them at the 2006 Under-13 Craven Week competition and for their Under-16 side at the 2009 Grant Khomo Week.

Obi joined Potchefstroom-based side the Leopards in 2012 and represented the Leopards U19 side in the 2012 Under-19 Provincial Championship competition. He finished as the third-highest try scorer in that competition, scoring ten tries.[2]

In 2013, he played Varsity Cup rugby for the NWU Pukke, scoring four tries for the side.[3]

Leopards

Obi's first class debut came in the 2013 Currie Cup First Division competition. He missed out on the first game of the season, but started in their second match against the Falcons.[4] He started each of the remaining matches of the season, making 14 appearances in total. His first senior try came in their match against the Griffons,[5] scoring a dramatic try in injury time that secured a 34–28 victory for the Leopards. He was once again the match-winner against the Boland Cavaliers, with the second of his two tries coming with four minutes left to beat the Cavaliers 22–17.[6][7] He scored another brace in their match against the Falcons[8][9] to end the season with a tally of eight tries, joint-sixth in the competition.[10]

Obi was subsequently included in the Lions wider training group prior to the 2014 Super Rugby season.[11]

Eastern Province Kings

In February 2015, Obi – along with fellow Leopards winger Sylvian Mahuza – started training with Port Elizabeth-based side the Eastern Province Kings, following a dispute about the validity of their contracts with the Leopards.[12] An agreement was reached and Obi officially joined the Kings on 27 February.[13]

Bulls

After just one season at the Kings, Obi joined the Pretoria-based Bulls side for the 2016 Super Rugby season.[14]

Cheetahs

He was on the move again in 2017, securing an early release from his Bulls contract to join the Cheetahs on a two-year deal.[15]

Representative rugby

In 2013, he was included in the South Africa Under-20 side that competed at the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship.[16] He scored four tries in his five appearances and finished joint-second in the try-scoring charts behind compatriot Seabelo Senatla,[17] helping the S.A. Under-20 side to third place in the competition.

References

  1. ↑ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Luther Obi". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "SA Rugby Try Scorers – 2012 ABSA Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  3. ↑ "SA Rugby Try Scorers – 2013 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards 50–25 Valke". South African Rugby Union. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Down Touch Griffons 34–28 Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards 22–17 Regent Boland Cavaliers". South African Rugby Union. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Obi strikes late as Leopards climb third". South African Rugby Union. 17 August 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  8. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Valke 27–38 Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 24 August 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  9. ↑ "Leopards beat Valke to stay in top four". South African Rugby Union. 24 August 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  10. ↑ "SA Rugby Try Scorers – 2013 Absa Currie Cup First Division". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "Agt van Pumas, Luiperds na Leeus". Media24 (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  12. ↑ "Official Statement on Luther Obi and Sylvian Mahuza" (Press release). Eastern Province Rugby. 2 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Kings secure services of Obi and Mahuza" (Press release). Eastern Province Rugby. 27 February 2015. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "Haastige Obi groet Kings óók". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). 14 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Obi to leave Vodacom Blue Bulls" (Press release). Bulls. 22 March 2017. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  16. ↑ "Steenkamp leads powerful SA U20 JWC squad". South African Rugby Union. 25 April 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  17. ↑ "IRB JWC 2013 Statistics". International Rugby Board. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
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