Inside Lumasa's first year representing rugby talent
We expanded into rugby representation a year ago. Here's what we've learned about scouting, contracts, and player development across two sports.
James WanyonyiHead of Talent Scouting (Football & Rugby)
A year ago we signed our first rugby player. The decision was deliberate — Uganda and East Africa increasingly produce serious rugby talent, and we wanted to apply the same representation model that has worked for our footballers.
Twelve months in, here's what we've learned.
The fundamentals are the same
Career planning, contract negotiation, education, family relocation, brand development — the work is structurally identical. A 24-year-old rugby international and a 24-year-old footballer face nearly the same set of decisions, just with different governing bodies.
The scouting network is different
We've had to build new relationships. Rugby academies, club rugby boards, sevens circuit organisers — almost all of it is parallel infrastructure to football and has to be invested in separately.
What's next
Football remains the agency's home. But our rugby roster will continue to grow steadily, with the same selectivity we apply to football. We sign the players we believe in for the long road.