EI MATERIAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Player Manager - Italy - Americas
Alberto Di Bernardo Player Manager - Italy - Americas At the age of five Alberto started playing rugby at the Jockey Club Rosario, Argentina, where he discovered his passion and love for this sport. In the year 2000 he made his debut in the first team, wining three consecutive titles and last year the local Championship. In Argentina he represented the National Team at U18,U19,U20s and Argentina Provinces and A level. In 2005 he decided to give it a try in pro rugby and moved to Europe, where he lived for 10 years playing professional rugby. Alberto gained experience in all the highest competitions playing Super 10 for Leonessa and L'aquila in Italy, in the English Championship for Cornish Pirates-UK, English Premiership for Leeds, Top 14 Bourgoin, Pro 14 League for Benetton Treviso in Italy. In addition Alberto played in the Challenge Cup and in the Heineken Cup and in 2007 at Twickenham won the EDF Cup after beating Exeter in the final. Alberto won 4 caps for Italy in 2013 playing against South Africa, Samoa, Scotland and Australia. Along with more than 1200 points accomplished as a kicking 10. Having played at the highest level Alberto has the capability to understand the demands placed on professional rugby players, their needs and in-depth knowledge of the various markets. Alberto has developed many lasting friendships with many excellent relationships nurtured in the world of rugby. Alberto is married to Mareen and father of a baby girl Allegra. His favourite motto is "Risk failure to succeed" Email: alberto.dibernardo@teamwass.com
Born in Dunedin, the deep south of NZ, Andrew went to Otago University where he studied Accounting and Economics. Whilst studying towards his degree, Andrew was a member of the Otago Academy.
In 2008, Andrew debuted for Otago and went on to play 3 seasons for the province. Following his time with Otago, Andrew made the move to Tokyo, Japan and played for Hino Motors for 2 seasons.
Following a string of injuries, Andrew hung the boots up and moved to London where I began with Wasserman Rugby in 2015.
Andrew was based in Edinburgh for 3 years where he developed a vibrant client base of both young and mature talent. In 2018 he moved to Sydney to become Wasserman Rugby's "Head Of Rugby" in Australia.
Arnaud started playing Rugby at the age of 5 in the suburbs of Paris, and finished his career playing number 8 at PUC and Racing92.
At the earlier age of 20, Arnaud decided to combine his passion for Rugby with his career objectives and chose to study Sports Management and Entrepreneurship at Paris School of Business. After 5 years of studies, a Bachelor of BA and a masters degree in hand, Arnaud put his first foot in Sports management.
In 2011, Arnaud started his career in Rugby management with Asporia, a global sports management company. Asporia already specialised in diverse range of sports, but needed someone to create a Rugby division from scratch and lead it.
Big Red Management became one of the market leaders in England and Wales, expanding to a staff of 8, managing a number of leading international players with a reputation to match. Then in 2015 Big Red Management merged with Wasserman Rugby to become the leading agency in Britain.
Job Titles:
- Global Director
- NRL Agent
Bruce has been successfully managing elite athletes for the past 15 years. His prior experience in the finance and retail industries, coupled with his notable business acumen, provides a vital element to the professional sports management that Wasserman Rugby International offers to clients.
Bruce is one of the most respected agents in New Zealand and along with Craig Innes is a founding director of World In Motion, one of New Zealand's leading sports management agencies. Bruce has comprehensive knowledge of the NZRPA/NZRU Players Collective, is an accredited NZRPA Player Agent and possesses a proven reputation for honesty and effective negotiation within the Australasian rugby industry.
Bruce is also an accredited NRL agent who possesses an in-depth knowledge of the NRL rules and regulations.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Director - New Zealand
As a player manager Cameron specialises in contract negotiations, player placement domestically and globally, and a wide range of individually tailored advice around the development and the direction of a players life on and off the field.
Cameron has a very extensive knowledge of the domestic and global rugby markets and is able to utilise Wasserman Rugby's leading Global network, which is of great value when a player is looking to explore global rugby options.
Cameron's passion for people and playing a role in some of the most significant decisions they will make is exciting, and believes given his first-hand experience he is uniquely placed to assist.
Job Titles:
- Client Services Manager - NZ
Clare comes from a varied background including roles in town planning and human resources before starting with Wasserman Rugby in 2016. She has a passion for the sports industry, and has played and been involved in a variety of sports both at the social and representative level, including netball, touch rugby, cricket and tennis.
Clare enjoys helping people and coming up with solutions to problems. With Wasserman Rugby, she enjoys working with the players and their families to make life easier, ensuring that the transition between contracts, countries and careers is seamless and pain-free. She enjoys the diverse nature of her role and is the main point of contact for clients with their day to day requests.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President & Managing Executive, Rugby
Craig has a firmly established reputation around the world as one of Rugby's leading player agents. Beginning his career in rugby in New Zealand as a professional player, Craig is one of few who made the successful switch between rugby codes.
Over his 12-year career he played for the Auckland Blues and All Blacks, then signed with Leeds Rhinos in the UK Super League, followed by the Australian NRL club Manly Sea Eagles, with whom he won a premiership title in 1996.
In 1997 Craig took on a new role off the pitch as founding director of one of New Zealand's top player management companies, World In Motion, along with Bruce Sharrock. Craig's career both on and off the field brings with it unprecedented knowledge of the New Zealand and International rugby industry, and over the years he has accumulated a strong network of contacts and valuable experience which makes him one of the most respected agents in the sport.
Dan completed his Bachelor of Business Studies Degree from Massey University in 1999. Following this he decided it was time to move to Australia, where he worked for Billabong on the Gold Coast, and met his future wife, and honed some average surfing skills.
Daniel has over 20 years' experience in sales, sponsorship and management having owned his own successful advertising business in Dubai as well as working for five years with global brands such as Pepsi, Gatorade, Red Bull and Cadbury to name a few.
Daniel is also the founder of Komodo Management Group which was formed in 2011. During this time he has represented talent across a number of sports and industries and his background in sponsorship has seen him responsible for some key corporate partnerships.
Daniel has a great eye for talent and has been able to identify, nurture and develop some of the best young talent across rugby and rugby league in Australia and New Zealand. He also has a wide knowledge of product and brand development and has established significant networks and contacts both in Australia and overseas.
He has a passion for sports and people and it is this passion that has led to him working tirelessly with his clients to not only get them the best opportunity on the field but to help ensure they are on track for a successful life post sport.
Job Titles:
- Commercial and Media - South Africa
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President & Managing Executive, Rugby
Duncan studied law at Canterbury University law school in Christchurch and qualified as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of NZ in 1997.
After working for one of the largest law firms in NZ specialising in employment and sports law he moved to London in 2000.
He practised law for 13 years in Auckland and London and has been involved in rugby management since 2001 and is one of the most experienced managers in world rugby.
He is one of the founding Directors of Wasserman Rugby and played a significant role in their inception which is when he started to specialise exclusively in the management of coaches being Directors of Rugby, Head Coaches and Assistants. He is widely regarded as the global leader in this area and his network in the global coaching market is second to none.
He has negotiated contracts in every professional rugby playing nation over the last 20 years.
Duncan also has significant experience and expertise consulting for national unions and clubs in relation to best-practice coaching and rugby operations structures, giving further weight to Rugby World's decision to shortlist him as one of the most influential people in rugby in 2016, 2018 and 2020.
Duncan is a married, father of two who was living on Jersey in the Channel Islands but has recently relocated with his family back to Auckland, New Zealand.
He enjoys ocean swimming, golf and boxing and was until recently coaching the mighty Jersey under 10's rugby team.
Dylan graduated from the University of Johannesburg with a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing Management), and is a SARU Accredited Agent.
Saying Dylan is passionate about sport is an understatement. He has been playing a number of sports his whole life. Namely rugby, soccer, tennis, cricket and golf. He also played competitive rugby at first team club level. In addition he has his world rugby level one coaching license and has coached rugby at first team school level for many years prior to joining the Wasserman Rugby team.
Having studied a marketing degree together with his natural marketing abilities he is well equipped to manage, market and promote our players.
He has strong negotiation skills, natural leadership qualities, is highly innovative, creative, and passionate about his players. A people's person with the highest integrity and loyalty.
He has a keen eye for spotting new sporting talent and has the ability to develop and fast-track a budding sports person's career. He is loved and respected by all who have the privilege of working with and being managed by him.
He was a director of Profind Sports Management Services pty (LTD) up until the end of 2018 before moving to our company to head up our Johannesburg and Pretoria area.
Ella joined Wasserman Rugby in 2017, as part of the commercial team, looking after the accounts.
Having recently worked at the LTA she got an insight into the world of British Tennis.
Gareth is commercially astute and diversely experienced professional who has made the successful transition from a 12-year career in high level club and international age grade rugby to varying business environments, pro-actively progressing his career outside of professional rugby by utilising his days off and through a proven commitment to excelling in multiple areas.
In his spare time, Gareth is a Director of profitable property company, that he created with a school friend. He can also be seen supporting his string of racehorses, playing golf and exercising with his local running club.
Gareth takes a unique ‘Player Experience' to his management style, having progressed as one of the first crop of ‘Professional Academy' players and has also experienced rugby in several different environments, all of which competing in top class leagues, allowing him to pass on first-hand experience of the demands of professional rugby to his clients. He amassed over 150 appearances for The Scarlets and Bristol, captaining them on many occasions and playing a key role in some memorable European Cup wins as well as securing promotion to the Premiership whilst at Bristol.
Gareth retired from Professional Rugby in 2016, whilst still under contract and under his own terms, in order to further his off-field developments and move into Player Management, a role he had always desired.
Gavin was educated at Dale College Boys High School in the Eastern Cape where he played 1st team Rugby and Cricket and participated at Golf and Squash and headed up the referee society.
In 2002 after school Gavin was offered the job of head of Sport at Dale College while playing rugby in East London.
In 2003 Gavin started a plastics business that grew and 2005 Gavin left Dale College to run his business full time.
Gavin lived in Oxford England in 2007 for 6 Months and after his return he went straight back into coaching at Dale College.
Away from work Gavin is married to Anine and they have an amazing little boy Kei. Gavin enjoys Diving, fishing, hunting, hiking and golf.
Following that Graeme jumped on a plane and made the rugby pilgrimage to New Zealand playing club rugby in Taranaki.
Returning to the UK he completed his teaching qualification and went on to teach for 4 years in the UK.
When Graeme returned to NZ he held the role of Director of Rugby at a number of secondary school. Graeme also coached at representative level and was involved in the administration of school boy rugby for 10 years.
Moving into Graeme's current role with Wasserman Rugby has allowed him to continue working in this area he is passionate about - helping guide young men to reach their full potential and take advantage of all opportunities they can, both within their rugby, their work and study.
Away from work Graeme enjoys cooking and trying to keep fit and appreciates having so many amazing places in New Zealand to get out camping at the weekends with his wife and dog.
Graeme played age grade representative rugby for Wales and professionally for Newport RFC whilst completing my Business degree at University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC).
Following that Graeme jumped on a plane and made the rugby pilgrimage to New Zealand playing club rugby in Taranaki.
Returning to the UK he completed his teaching qualification and went on to teach for 4 years in the UK.
When Graeme returned to NZ he held the role of Director of Rugby at a number of secondary school. Graeme also coached at representative level and was involved in the administration of school boy rugby for 10 years.
James' career spanned over 13 years where he amassed over 250 games playing for Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Glasgow in the Pro 14 and Northampton and Wasps in the Premiership as well as a stint in Italy with Calvisano. James is a full Ireland International as well as 7's. Winning the Pro 14 and European Challenge Cup and playing in the Heineken Cup Final are some of his highlights.
Whilst Playing, James juggled his rugby commitments with study and has a Sports Management Diploma, Degree in Business Management and a Sport Psychology Diploma. James is also a Qualified Financial Planner.
This experience gives James the ability to help and advise on managing a demanding career and study as well as the ability to have been involved in negotiations along his career. His career gave him the knowledge of knowing what a modern player needs and wants from a Player Manager.
With rugby to the fore he is an Assistant Coach at his club Clontarf RFC who compete in the tier below professional with many players representing Leinster.
Sport is front and centre in life outside work with James being a GAA advocate and going to Croke Park whenever he can. Golf has been taken up since his retirement but this is still a work on for him. And holidays find him around the Italian coastline.
Job Titles:
- Global Brand and Communications
John's sporting passion is rugby football, having played loosehead prop for Ballynahinch RFC where he became Captain, then later President of the Club.
John graduated from the University Of Ulster in Belfast, with a BA(Hons) in Visual Communication, winning the top advertising student award in his final year.
After University John set up an award-winning design and media business, and in 2003 he teamed up with Ryan Constable who set up Cornerflag Management, a rugby management company based in Ireland. As principal of Cornerflag's ecommerce and design division John's design, photography and web-based expertise combined with his extensive media contacts made him a powerful resource.
In 2014 Cornerflag merged with Wasserman Rugby where John now leads the Global Brand and Communications team, ensuring Wasserman Rugby are always ahead of the game and exceeding the challenges of an ever-changing business world.
Away from work John is married to Joan and has 3 children, Emma, Alex, John Jnr and dogs Bonnie and Tommy. Game fishing for trout and salmon is his go-to for relaxation when he can find the time. John is also a very keen golfer and enjoys making the native red squirrels take cover as he smashes a little white ball around the fairways of Ireland.
Job Titles:
- Player Manager - NRL Accredited
Having combined his university studies with a two year internship at Big Red Management, Josh returned to Brunel University for his final year in 2015, to finish his degree in Business Management. In 2016, he graduated with first class honours and joined Wasserman Rugby full time.
Josh works in the commercial team, based in the London office and mostly working on the media side of things. When he's not in the office, he'll most likely be found watching any live sport!
Job Titles:
- Client Services Manager - Europe
Kate was educated in Warwickshire and then graduated with a HND in Business Management at Buckinghamshire University.
After University Kate took a year out to travel to Portugal which resulted her staying in Portugal after setting up two restaurants in Vale Do Lobo and Vilamoura. Kate returned to the UK until her next venture was to Jersey, Channel Islands, again working in the catering industry until she decided to move into finance. Kate worked as a Premier Relationship Manager at HSBC for 10 years look after the High Net Worth clients with their daily banking requirements.
Kate joined Wasserman Rugby in 2012 and predominantly assists with the relocation of our players and coaches into Europe. Kate enjoys helping our clients and their families settle in their new environment and ensures that this is a seamless process when moving to a new country.
Kate enjoys the diverse challenges of her role and is a point of contact for our clients on day to day requests from ordering new boots, to sourcing insurance, helping with flights…….the list is endless ……but always enjoyable and rewarding!
Kate's passion is ensuring that the client receives the best service at all times which has resulted in great feedback from the players and coaches.
Kenji was born in 1970 in Chiba Japan. He played baseball for his primary and junior high school, then was introduced to rugby at high school.
Kenji studied economics at Meiji Gakuin University where he continued to play rugby and was vice captain in his final year.
In 1993 Kenji moved to New Zealand to study playing and coaching rugby at the Auckland Rugby Football Union. Playing with Teachers Eastern Rugby Football Club, Premier Grade, Kenji won the Auckland Club Rugby Competition the Gallagher Shield Cup, in 1998 and 1999.
Moving back to Japan Kenji worked with NTT Docomo RFC as Translator/Assistant Coach from April 2003 to March 2006. He then became the Translator/Physical Assistant for Yamaha Jubilo RFC from April 2006 to March 2010.
Kenji then studied applied sports phycology at NPO Performance Excellence, and worked as rugby performance coordinator from April 2010 to May 2012.
Kenji joined Coca Cola Red Sparks as Performance Coordinator/Translator from June 2012 to October 2014 and then worked with In Touch Sports from November 2014 to March 2018 as Japan Manager.
Kenji joined Wasserman Rugby as Director Japan during April 2018 and his life motto is "Happy Wife, Happy Life."
Leigh's 11 year professional career saw him play for amongst others Leeds Carnegie and Newport Gwent Dragons as well as representing the famed Barbarians. With experience in the Premiership, Pro 14 and the Championship, Leigh is perfectly placed to advise players on the demands of the game on and off the field.
Leigh combined his playing career with an Undergraduate and Masters degrees in business, along with time spent building a property portfolio and writing for the Telegraph and Sky Sports. He has a passion for developing his clients away from just rugby and helping them prepare for life after the sport.
With his eye for talent, reputation and network in the game Leigh now manages some of the top International players in the Premiership and Pro14 and is widely regarded as one of the leading agents in the UK.
Away from Wasserman Rugby, Leigh is married to Jen with four young daughters Isla, Freya, Amber and Stella.
Job Titles:
- Finance Manager South Africa
Lindy joined Wasserman Rugby in March 2018 as a Financial Manager to provide a strong financial framework for the South African operations, as well as to provide commercial expertise and support.
She is a Chartered Accountant who qualified in South Africa after obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting through the University of Cape Town.
Lindy has worked in both UK and South Africa and brings with her more than 20 years of professional experience working across a wide range of industries including professional services, financial services, retail, travel - and now sport.
In addition, she has first-hand experience of working across a broad spectrum of corporate environments ranging from: large multinationals such as Sainsbury's, Deutsche Bank and Ernst & Young; medium sized owner-managed businesses; through to successfully running her own business prior to joining the Wasserman Rugby family.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President & Managing Executive, Rugby
Mark was educated at St. John's School, Leatherhead in Surrey followed by De Montfort University where he combined a Marketing with Law degree with playing at Leicester Tigers Academy. An injury and lack of ability curtailed the rugby career but from the contacts he made while in the academy and at university, Mark decided to pursue a career as a sports agent in rugby.
Job Titles:
- Client Services - South Africa
Michael Claassens is from Kroonstad in the Free State and is a former Springbok player who in his professional career made in excess of 350 senior appearances, including eight Test matches for the South Africa national team.
Michael made his first class debut in 2003 for the Free State Cheetahs, making 64 appearances for the Bloemfontein-based side between 2003 and 2006. Michael was a Currie Cup winner with the Cheetahs in 2005 and again when they shared it with the Bulls in 2006. He made his Test debut against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on the 6th Nov 2004. Michael went on to play Super Rugby for the Cats in 2005 and the Cheetahs in 2006 and 2007.
Michael joined Bath Rugby in England for the 2007-2008 when they won the the European Challenge Cup in his first season, and he remained at Bath for a further six years.
Michael moved to France and played two seasons at Toulon, and was part of the Toulon team that won the top 14 and Heineken cup in 2013-2014.
After his time in France Michael returned to South Africa to finish his career at the Durban based Sharks.
Michael's role at Wasserman Rugby is to manage our clients at the Sharks and continue to develop the business in the region. As a Financial Planner Michael is ideally placed to assist clients with their financial management to safeguard their future.
Nash has been involved in the sports industry for over 10 years, having a continuous passion for rugby and rugby league, and a strong competitive nature. Nash played rugby league and was involved in boxing while growing up in the Gold Coast of Australia, careers in which were cut short due to injury.
His background in sports management and business management, in addition to his experience gained from developing and growing two successful companies from scratch, have culminated in his professional and client-focused approach to representing players. Nash's time as a sports agent has seen him represent athletes of all calibers across multiple sports, from 14 year old superstars of tomorrow, to current NRL club captains and international superstars of today.
Nash has a genuine interest in his players' wellbeing and career outcomes, and this drives his passion to maintain the highest possible standards of management and ensures that his players get the best results possible both on and off the field. He places emphasis on the fact that player management is not a "one size fits all" approach and understands that each player is a different person with different needs. Nash ensures his management service is specific to each player and in doing so, guarantees the best results possible.
Job Titles:
- Head of Commercial - N. Ireland
Natasha has enjoyed a varied commercial and sponsorship career to date including working in cricket for four years with the Professional Cricketers' Association and then in football with the League Managers Association.
After a year as Head of Sponsorship for Brewin Dolphin managing their national sponsorship campaigns, Natasha relocated to Northern Ireland and joined Wasserman Rugby in 2014.
Philip was educated at Paarl Boys one of the top schools in South Africa. Where he played A-team rugby for his school in all the age groups. He also represented Western Province for 8 years as a junior tennis player and was one of the top tennis players in his age group in South Africa from age 10-18.
After studying a Bachelor of Law Agree he travelled abroad extensively and worked for various companies in England, Germany and New Zealand in sales and marketing positions. He returned to South Africa and in 2000 started a career in the SA Rugby Industry by scouting top schoolboy players for a few rugby franchises in South Africa from 2000 to 2009. In 2009 Philip together with Hilton Houghton were one of the founding members of Union Sports Group, a South Africa rugby player management company.
Philip is also a licensed accredited rugby player agent with SARU (South African Ruby Union) since 2009. He excelled in his career at identifying and / or representing some of the best young schoolboy rugby player since they were 13 years old.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President & Managing Executive, Rugby
- Founding Director of Wasserman Rugby
Rhys is a Founding Director of Wasserman Rugby having been involved since the inception of the company.
Rhys specialises in the UK and French market where he represents both leading players and coaches. Rhys is fluent in French and in 2008 became only the second non-French citizen to be awarded a licence by the French Rugby Federation to represent professional players, coaches and clubs in France.
Rhys is also a qualified lawyer in England and Wales, specialising in sports-related employment law having practised in London, Paris and Cardiff and has advised on many complex multi-jurisdictional sports related transactions.
Given Rhys's unique skillset he has developed a reputation for brokering complex international transfers and recently brokered the deals for both the highest paid player and Director of Rugby in to France. Rhys regularly visits Wasserman Rugby's southern hemisphere offices to assist them and their clients with assessing the European markets to ensure that the clients are well informed and comfortable with what can be life changing opportunities.
Away from work, Rhys has a very understanding wife in Bethan and is kept busy on weekends with his little ones Erin and Tomos. Rhys is a keen golfer (when time permits) and enjoys running to try and keep off some of the weight gained from the fine French food and wine he gets to enjoy! Rhys recently competed in the Man v Horse Marathon in Wales. The family try and spend as many weekends as possible down in west Wales where they have a caravan.
Ronnie was educated at North-West University where he combined studying B.Pharmacy with playing rugby for the Leopards in the South African Currie Cup. In 2005 he was included in the South African U21 team that played in the Junior Rugby World Championship, helping South Africa win the Competition.
From 2006 to 2007, Ronnie made 24 appearances for the Cheetahs in Super Rugby, while representing Griqualand-West in the Currie Cup. October 2007, he joined French Top 14 side, Brive and appeared in 121 matches over four seasons. After his stint in France, Ronnie returned to South Africa to join the Southern Kings for Super Rugby and appeared in 24 matches for them, captaining the team on many occasions.
His personal experience and understanding of the needs of a professional sportsman, made Ronnie believe that player management was a trade where can add value to any aspiring rugby player. He prides himself on having a great work ethic and understands that trust is crucial for all successful relationships. Ronnie has strong core values and these values are the foundation on which he lives his life.
He is married to Renské and they have two beautiful kids, called Nathan and Neré. They enjoy being active and have a busy lifestyle which revolves around sport and social events.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President & Managing Executive, Rugby
Ryan's first-class rugby career spanned 13 years, with seasons at Queensland Reds, Saracens and Ulster. His full 15-a-side international honours for Australia and captaincy of the Australian RWC 7s team mean that Ryan is very well qualified to advise on the demands of professional sport at the highest level across the globe.
Ryan combined his early playing career with studies in Sports Science, Business Management and Marketing at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology, which enabled him to launch his career in rugby management in 2003 by starting his own company, Cornerflag Management Ltd.
Now a founding director of Wasserman Rugby, Ryan has over fifteen years of industry experience to draw upon. Ryan's stature in the industry was endorsed through with his appointment as the inaugural agent's representative on the Irish Agents Registrations Board, an initiative conceived by Rugby Players Ireland to create a regulatory framework to help raise the standards of the industry.
Having directly negotiated the highest value playing contracts in the Pro14 and English Premiership, Ryan is widely regarded as one of the leading talent managers in Ireland & the UK.
Married, with four children; Corey, Kai, Maya, Jack and a Boston Terrier named Buddy, Ryan's life is never dull and always busy. Unsurprisingly, one of his favourite quotes is "if you want a job done, ask a busy person" Holidays revolve around the theme of family, water, swimming and tennis.
With 12 years experience managing the affairs of professional players at the highest level, Stuart joins the Wasserman Rugby team as one of the most respected agents in the game. Formally Head of Rugby at Inside Rugby, he brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the industry at all levels. He has even consulted for the NFL in line with their International Player Pathway programme, leading to Rugby Union's first ever professional player signing with an NFL franchise. He also has a very strong commercial and sponsorship background, which will only strengthen those departments at Wasserman Rugby further still.
Following an unfortunate run of injuries, Stu was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to study Sports and Exercise Science at degree level in 2002, followed by Sports Business Management at Masters level, so it was clear that a career within professional sport beckoned for the Hartpury College graduate, even if he had hoped it would be through playing! But for any ‘failed sportsman' (his words) he sees the opportunity to work so closely with the next generation of international class athletes as the next best thing, and has a very sharp eye for young talent.
Sebastien was born beside of a rugby pitch thanks to a family loving rugby for 5 generations. With a great-grandfather, a silver medal winner at the 1924 Paris Olympics Games.
Sebastien spent his 3 years of high school, between 2005 and 2008, in the federal academy at Lycee Lakanal which enabled him to take full advantage of his passion for rugby and try to become the best rugby player as possible.
During this period Sebastien played scrum half for 5 seasons in the youth academy of Racing92.
After the baccalaureate, Sébastien joined the prestigious Paris School of Business and he studied for one year in Scotland and was awarded a Master's degree in Sport Management with Honours.