Not-so-giant prop Biyi Alo to stay at Wasps

Wasps have confirmed that not-so-giant prop Biyi Alo has extended his contract with the Coventry-based side.

At one time the heaviest player in the Gallagher Premiership, who tipped the scales at 143kg (22.5 stone), the 6’2 Alo has trimmed down to a relatively svelte 128kg.

“I’m about 128kgs now,” Alo told RugbyPass last October. “The weight definitely helps in the dark arts of the scrum. You want to be heavy because sometimes some teams come out with nasty strategies where they try to isolate your hooker and loosehead on you, so the weight definitely does help when it comes to scrum time. I’d say I have got a good balance of it now.”

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"I was like, 'I'm a tighthead prop, do I really want to come across as this guy who has all these deep feelings?'"@WaspsRugby forward @biyialo expected ridicule when he started his music career. Instead, he found support, writes @heagneyl ??? #WASvNOR https://t.co/w8UZHVeBi6

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 10, 2021

The 27-year-old fan favourite has featured 14 times already this campaign.

“We are buzzing that Biyi has agreed to extend his contract with us,” said Wasps head coach Lee Blackett. “Biyi has put in some phenomenal performances this season, to cement his place as a regular at tighthead for us. This new contract is a great reward for all the hard effort he has put in to do that.

“Biyi’s personality is infectious, I can’t do anything other than smile when I see him, he’s a great character.”

Alo put in an eye-catching performance against Leicester Tigers in January, before crossing for a try against Toulouse a week later. The tighthead prop also scored a 5-pointer in the recent encounter with Bath.

“I am really happy to have extended my time at Wasps. I really enjoy working with all the players and coaches to get better every day, it is a great environment to be a part of,” said Alo. “I would like to say a big thank you to all the fans for their fantastic support this season at Coventry Building Society Arena.”

The Loughborough University graduate is approaching his 50th career Premiership appearance, having joined Wasps initially as injury cover from Coventry Rugby during the 2018/19 campaign. Alo impressed during his short time to earn a permanent deal with the Club from the summer of 2019.

Alo came through the Saracens Academy and featured for the first-team during the 2015 campaign, before making the switch to Worcester Warriors where he made 30 appearances, scoring four tries. The London born prop also represented England at U18 and U20 levels.