The ESA Awards Committee is delighted to reveal Ugo Monye as host of the 2026 ESA Awards in partnership with Pearlfinders.
Ugo is a former international rugby player now working as a broadcaster and TV personality while advocating for diversity and inclusion.
A ‘one-club-man’, Ugo Monye began his career at Harlequins in 2002, going on to make 237 appearances for the club, scoring 87 tries and winning a Premiership title in the process.
His club performances soon earned Ugo international recognition, and he made his England debut in 2008. Featuring heavily in England’s 2009 Six Nations squad, he was awarded a place on the 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa, on which he scored a crucial length-of-the-field try in the final Test, which has gone on to become an iconic image in Lions history.
Since retiring, he has become a prominent sports broadcaster, featuring on TNT Sport and co-hosting BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast. In 2021 he appeared on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing and became a team captain on A Question of Sport.
Off the pitch Ugo has become a go-to authority and advocate for diversity in sport and a major champion of women’s sport. As Chair of the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) diversity and inclusion advisory group, and as a board member at the Women’s Sports Trust, Ugo’s knowledge and expertise goes beyond his own experiences as a player.
He has spoken openly about the lack of racial diversity in rugby and its leadership, calling for more opportunities for players, coaches and administrators from underrepresented backgrounds. In 2023 Ugo fronted a series of films for Channel 4 highlighting individual stories in the sport, focusing on race, gender and LGBTQ+ equality. Ugo’s mission is to create a more inclusive culture, aiming to challenge stereotypes and bring diverse voices into the conversation.
- The 2026 ESA Awards in partnership with Pearlfinders takes place on 12 March in London. Click here to buy tickets.
