Rugby. The strongest roster in the practice.
Nationale 1, Pro D2, Top 14, Premiership, URC, Champions Cup, and international rugby. We work the full pyramid from club rugby to the international stage. The sport where the AoS practice is deepest, and where the SA-France corridor makes every athlete tri-marketable.
The athletes
From National 1 to Top 14. We work the full pyramid.
The established agencies want Top 14 internationals with large followings and existing sponsor relationships. We want the National 1 captain who is three years from Top 14, the Pro D2 starter in their second season, and the fringe international who has never had a brand deal structured properly. These are players who are hungry, professional, and commercially wide open. By the time they reach the Top 14 first fifteen and attract agency attention, we already know them. A significant proportion are also South African players contracted in France, creating a commercial angle no other firm systematically exploits: the ability to pitch SA brands, French sponsors, and international DTC brands simultaneously from one athlete.
- Nationale 1 and Federal 1 professionals (France)
- Pro D2 starters and squad members (France)
- Top 14 developing and mid-roster players
- Premiership and URC professionals (UK, Ireland, Italy, South Africa)
- Fringe internationals and emerging Springboks
- Women's rugby professionals (post-WRWC 2025 market)
- South African players on French contracts
- Recently retired players with established public profiles
The commercial landscape
A sport brands underestimate until they run the numbers.
Rugby's commercial picture is more interesting than most brand teams assume. The Top 14 draws 2.8 million weekly viewers in France, more than Ligue 1 on a match-for-match basis. The average rugby supporter is 37, earns above the median, and follows three to five sponsors at club or national level. The engagement rates on mid-tier rugby athletes on Instagram sit between 5 and 9%, significantly above team-sport averages. And with women's rugby sponsorship growing 330% in the year following WRWC 2025, the window for brands to enter cheaply is closing.
- Recovery technology and performance supplements
- Financial services, particularly private banks with SA or French exposure
- Grooming, skincare, and men's wellness
- Premium beverages (alcohol and non-alcohol)
- Casualwear and lifestyle apparel
- Watch and jewellery brands targeting a male 28–45 demographic
The SA-France corridor
One athlete. Three markets.
A Springbok-eligible player based in France carries commercial value in South Africa (FNB, Discovery, Castle Lager, Old Mutual), in France (club sponsors, French DTC, luxury), and globally (brands seeking authentic rugby positioning in a European context). No single agency targets all three angles simultaneously. AoS does.
Begin here
Two paths. One practice.
Whether you're an athlete in rugby weighing whether AoS is the right team, or a brand looking for a credible athlete in this space, the process starts with a few direct questions.