Ugo Monye

Igbo names, London upbringing

Ugochukwu Chiedozie Monye was born in Islington, London, on 13 April 1983 into a family of Nigerian heritage. His Igbo first name, Ugochukwu, means “the glory of God”.

One club man

Monye spent his whole career with Harlequins, from 2002 to 2015, playing 241 games and scoring 435 points on the wing, at centre and at full-back. He won the European Challenge Cup in 2011 and the Premiership in 2011-12.

England and the 2009 Lions

He won 14 England caps. On the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa he started the first test in Durban and, recalled for the third test, scored a famous 70-metre intercept try. He finished as the tourists’ leading try scorer.

Broadcaster

Since retiring in 2015 Monye has become one of rugby’s best-known voices, presenting the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast, working on TV coverage and serving as a team captain on A Question of Sport from 2021.