Angus Bujalski is the man who has overseen rugby through a year of upheaval. An ex-Slaughter and May lawyer who has now been at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for 12 years, Bujalski has seen his role change dramatically over that time, currently serving as its executive director of legal and governance. His position sees him navigate multiple stakeholders and third parties – from clubs, to investors, players, academies and Premier Rugby. At a time when Covid-19 has hit rugby clubs hard, he has been involved in working to find new incentives for English qualified players and ways to beef up rugby governance to better protect clubs, as well as handling the financial difficulties and disruption that has plagued the rugby industry.
He is also dealing with head injuries and welfare cases that have come to light over whether players were properly protected from permanent injuries caused by concussive blows. He has been involved in developing a cross-level group to look at the impacts of head injuries and to conduct trials and research to learn more about how rugby can do better for its players. In a year of tribulations, Bujalski has shown his skills in being proactive and pragmatic when it comes to dealing with a variety of situations and navigating what the future of rugby could look like.