Ugo Monye

Ugo Monye

Full name	Ugochukwu Chiedozie Monye
Date of birth	(1983-04-13) 13 April 1983
Place of birth	Islington, London, England
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	92 kg (14 st 7 lb)
School	Lord Wandsworth College
Notable relative(s)	Jude Monye
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing / Centre Current team Harlequins Correct as of 22 October 2010

Ugochukwu "Ugo" Chiedozie Monye (born 13 April 1983 in Islington, London) is an English international rugby union player who plays club rugby for Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership.

As a youth Monye was a star athlete, said to have a personal best in the 100m of 10.5 seconds at the age of 16, a time to compete with future Olympians Mark Lewis-Francis and Tyrone Edgar in the English Schools' Championship.

Monye was a student at Lord Wandsworth College, best known for producing Jonny Wilkinson, Monye played for Hampshire U17s and U20s, as well as achieving success on the track.

In deciding which to pursue, Monye was fortunate that his former sports master Tim Richardson put him in touch with Harlequins U19 coach Colin Osborne. When the club offered him a professional contract after a few games he jumped at the opportunity and within 12 months he was a member of the England Sevens team that had won the Hong Kong Sevens. Monye was a key member of the England Sevens squad throughout the 2002–03 and 2003–04 IRB World Sevens Series, and was part of the team that competed in the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong. He was also part of the England Saxons sides that won the Churchill Cup in 2005 and 2008. He first played for Harlequins in the friendly against Glasgow Warriors in August 2002 and began the following season with five tries in two matches including a hat trick against Rotherham Titans at Millmoor.

His scent of the line is something to which Exeter Chiefs would testify. He scored five tries against them when Harlequins won 70–5 at Twickenham Stoop as the side roared straight back to the Guinness Premiership after a season in National One during which Monye scored 16 tries. Before the 2009–10 season, he had run in 47 in 105 games for the club.

Monye scored his first try for England against Scotland at Twickenham in the Six Nations on 21 March 2009. Monye made his England debut in England's 39–13 victory over the Pacific Islanders at Twickenham in 2008 and started the rest of the autumn internationals against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Selected for the 2009 Lions tour of South Africa and made the XV for the first Test in Durban where he came close to scoring two tries. In the first half he was prevented from scoring as he dived over the try line but Jean de Villiers got his hand underneath the ball to prevent a try. In the latter stages of the second half, Monye was through to score but was tackled by Morne Steyn and lost control of the ball.

The Lions lost the Test and Monye also lost his place being replaced by Luke Fitzgerald. The Lions lost the second Test and Monye was recalled, redeeming himself with a 70-metre intercepted try as the Lions restored pride, losing the series 2–1. He was the highest Lions try scorer of the tour with 5 tries.

In September 2010, Ugo suffered a career threatening to injury and after surgery he was sidelined for 12 weeks. This ruled him out of Martin Johnsons England Squad for the Autumn Test Series and consequently the 2011 Six Nations tournament. He returned to play for Harlequins who he helped to win the Amlin Challenge Cup, before being named in the England training squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup at the end of the season.

Charity Work

Monye is currently an Athlete Ambassador for Right To Play, the world's leading sport for development charity.

External links

• Harlequins profile
• England profile
• Big tackle by Ugo Monye on Ben Blair
• Ugo Monye – Maximuscle Ambassador Profile
• http://www.spikesmag.com/features/englandrugbyunionwingerugomonyeonathletics.aspx