Among British rugby enthusiasts, the athlete known by the nicknames "Obo", "The Flying Prince", and "The Flying Slav" was particularly popular. In the mid-20th century, he was permanently included in the list of the 15 greatest English rugby players. We are talking about our compatriot Alexander Sergeyevich Obolensky. His aristocratic family moved to London during the Civil War. Later, Obolensky enrolled at Oxford, where he became interested in rugby.

At first, he played for the university team, demonstrating excellent physical attributes and superb ball-handling skills. Soon, he caught the attention of the professional club Leicester Tigers. Then, Obolensky was invited to the England national team when he was just 19 years old. In 1936, the team was set to face the strongest team in the world, New Zealand. The English had never beaten the "Kiwis" before and were considered underdogs. However, Alexander Sergeyevich's performance changed the course of events.

In the first half, the New Zealanders were stunned. Obolensky, seizing the ball, dashed down the wing with such incredible speed that he outpaced all defenders and scored a try, a move where a player grounds the ball in the opponent's in-goal area, earning additional points. In the second half, Obolensky surprised his opponents again. Receiving a pass on the wing, he, possessing excellent peripheral vision, shifted to the center, ran diagonally across half the field, and scored another try, later recognized as the best in the history of English rugby. The match ended with a victory for the English, with a score of 13-0.

In the same year, 1936, Obolensky, as part of the England national team, went to play against Argentina. Rumor has it that during warm-ups, he made 17 tries, which would have been a phenomenal record. However, his life was short-lived. During World War II, the Russian aristocrat voluntarily joined the Royal Air Force and died, failing to land properly. He was only 24 years old. In 2009, a monument to Obolensky was unveiled, with rugby fans from all over England attending the ceremony.