The Welsh rugby agent uncovering hidden gems around the world including new Wales star

Wales Online

3 days ago

The Welsh rugby agent uncovering hidden gems around the world including new Wales star
The former hooker thinks outside the box to find diamonds in the rough across the globe
Mee (right) went from the second tier of English rugby to making his Wales debut in less than a year
(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency )
A Welsh rugby agent who has uncovered hidden gems from right across the globe has opened up about his "different" approach to player recruitment
Richard Emms - a former hooker for the likes of Pontypridd, Cross Keys and Swansea - moved into representation when his playing career came to an end, and he now represents around 70 players from right around the world. Admitting that he "won't just take anybody", he specialises in thinking outside the box and using non-traditional means to find diamonds in the rough.
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The talented players he has discovered in recent years include Saracens star Theo McFarland, who he spotted playing in a now-defunct competition in Samoa and is now captain of his country.
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Emms, who does most of his scouting work from his home in Pontyclun, also discovered Bristol Bears centre Kalaveti Ravouvou while he was playing sevens alongside working in a Fijian prison, as well as Stade Francais' "X-factor" speedster Peniasi Dakuwaqa, who he spotted playing in the Cook Islands.
He also has Wales hooker Dewi Lake on his books, while he played a big role in discovering one of Welsh rugby's recent bright sparks in Scarlets wing Ellis Mee. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
The 21-year-old, who moved to Parc y Scarlets last summer, delivered a hugely impressive performance when he made his Wales debut against Ireland during the Six Nations earlier this year, asking many fans to ask where he had come from.
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Less than a year earlier, he had been playing for Nottingham in the second tier of English rugby and while his discovery was credited to Scarlets legend James 'Cubby' Davies, who is now recruitment and operations officer at the region, it was Emms who flagged Mee to the Welsh side, reports MailOnline.
"I like players with a point of difference. I don't want to give my trade secrets away, but there are certain things I look for in a player," he told the publication. "I like to manage the players myself.
"I'm quite fussy about the players I'll take on. I won't just take anybody. I look for qualities in terms of rugby ability, but also characteristics off the field. I like my players to have a good work ethic.
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"I always try to be a bit different," he added. "That's not necessarily for the sake of being different, but any agent can turn up and watch an academy game because the players there have already been identified. Then you have to go head-to-head with other agents.
"I back myself to find the players I think can become stars. That excites me more than any financial return.
"It's finding the diamonds in the rough, like Kalaveti, because when they do kick on and start to make an impression, it gives you a lot of pleasure."
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Emms, who is also fully trained as a financial adviser, added that he has plenty more promising talents on his books, with his clients including Fijian prop Bill Drodrolagi Nairau and English lock Will Ramply, who have signed for Saracens and Bristol respectively ahead of next season.
While rugby's transfer market remains traditional, he believes that more clubs could think differently to land new talents and gain a competitive edge.
"I think there is still a degree of unwillingness at some teams to look outside the box when it comes to recruitment," he said.
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"The preferred option is still to go for the tried and tested,' he said. 'It doesn't bother me what country a player is from. I have no pre-conceptions.
"If I see it, I see it. I like to think there's a different way of doing things and there's something better out there. Lots of clubs have tight budgets now and I understand that, but if you can find a hidden gem who goes on to become a big player, that can be priceless."