England international Ellis Genge has taken another step on his trajectory to sporting superstardom by becoming the latest rugby player to join rap superstar Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports agency.
Genge re-signed for his hometown club the Bristol Bears this summer as a returning hero after six years away having captained Leicester Tigers back from the brink of relegation to Premiership champions in 2021/22. And the Bristolian looks to have kicked on again on the pitch since returning to Ashton Gate, appearing to harness the emotional energy of his return to the West Country to score three tries in two appearances and record a man of the match display in the opening weekend derby victory over Bath Rugby as the Bears have raced out to top of the league table.
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Despite having only made 39 appearances for England the 27-year-old is widely regarded as the best loosehead prop in world rugby. His brutal, no compromises style of rugby has long attracted attention with the front rower gaining the nickname the ‘Baby Rhino’ due to his powerful running game - a name he has embraced, running youth training sessions in the community under the same name.
Speaking on BT Sports’ Rugby Tonight earlier this month, former England international winger turned pundit Ugo Monye said: “I don’t want to go overboard about it but Ellis Genge is an icon. He is absolutely that, not just for the Bristol Bears but for the entire Gallagher Premiership and English rugby.
“It is not just what he does on the pitch, it is the person he is, how he connects himself to grassroots and the rugby camps he runs. He is someone every rugby fan and person follows.”
And Roc Nation agree, adding him to their stable of world-class rugby players that includes England team-mate Maro Itjoe and South Africa’s Siya Kolisi, Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira, Cheslin Kolbe and All Black Ardie Savea. Roc Nation entered into rugby in 2021 with one aim, to make rugby cool. And Genge is the next piece of the puzzle in achieving that they believe.
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