Wasserman Launches Rugby Division With Acquisition of Esportif
Wasserman is expanding its reach with a new rugby division. The sports marketing and talent management shop has acquired Esportif, a global rugby agency and management firm, and will rebrand the venture as Wasserman Rugby. Esportif’s roster includes Irish star Tadhg Furlong, England’s Ellis Genge, Welsh veteran Alun Wyn Jones and Kiwi Richie Mo’unga, as well as Scottish national team coach Gregor Townsend. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Esportif’s operations and global staff will fold into the Wasserman umbrella immediately. Wasserman Rugby’s reach will extend from the UK and Ireland to New Zealand, South Africa, France, Australia, Argentina, Italy and Japan. The agency said it plans to expand to other regions where the sport is seeing growth.
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“Wasserman Rugby offers the most comprehensive service to clients in the sport, and that’s a credit to what… their entire team have built over the last decade-plus,” Wasserman COO Fahri Ecvet said in a statement. “Their work is renowned and respected, and their approach to the sports and entertainment world matches the culture of Wasserman, and will complement our other industry-leading talent representation practices.”
“The acquisition is huge for us and offers an exciting opening for growth in the rugby industry,” Esportif leadership said in a joint statement. “It enables us to accelerate our ability to offer our clients much more of a holistic service and will strengthen our existing practices and expand our expertise to current and future clients. We are excited about the platform this will provide for rugby players to take their place alongside other Wasserman global superstar athletes and artists on the world stage.”
The news comes as the sport continues to grow beyond Western Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Rugby’s most recent World Cup, held in Japan in 2019, attracted a record 857 million viewers around the world and welcomed a total of 1.7 million fans to the matches.
The United States is particularly well-positioned for growth as host of the 2028 Los Angeles Games (where rugby sevens is an Olympic sport) and both the men’s rugby World Cup in 2031 and the women’s edition in 2033. Organizations like Major League Rugby and Premier Rugby Sevens are also continuing to push the professional version of the sport throughout North America.
The deal is Wasserman’s third major acquisition this year. In January, the Los Angeles-based agency acquired The Montag Group, a media agency with clients including CBS’ Jim Nantz, NBC’s Mike Tirico, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and TNT’s Kenny Smith. In April, it completed a deal for Paradigm Music UK’s live music representation business, deepening its endeavors in music and entertainment.
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