Rugby Africa President appoints APO Group Founder, Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard as Special Advisor

APO Group, the leading pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, is delighted to announce the appointment of its Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, as Special Advisor to Herbert Mensah, the President of Rugby Africa , the governing body of rugby in Africa.

Nicolas will provide expert advice and guidance on specific issues and areas of responsibility related to rugby and matters of interest on the African continent. He will also represent Herbert Mensah in meetings and negotiations with various stakeholders, including presidencies, governments, and other entities across Africa and around the world, when called upon by Herbert Mensah.

Franco-Gabonese entrepreneur Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard brings a wealth of experience, as well as a vast network of prominent connections to his role as Special Advisor to the President of Rugby Africa. 

In 2007, Nicolas founded APO Group , the leading Pan-African Communications consultancy and press release distribution service. It counts among its 320 clients some of the biggest multinational companies, public institutions and sporting organizations operating in Africa, including the likes of FIFA, Nestlé, and Afreximbank.

Herbert Mensah was unanimously and overwhelmingly elected as the President of World Rugby's African Association, Rugby Africa, in March. Both he and Nicolas share a determination to tackle numerous challenges, including governance, the right to play, and the limited number of competitions resulting from the under-funding of rugby in Africa.

Devising new ways to raise the profile of African rugby through media exposure and investment opportunities will be a key part of Nicolas’s role as Special Advisor. 

Nicolas sits on several Advisory Boards, Task Forces, and International Committees, imparting his knowledge and expertise to diverse organizations. These include the Senior Advisory Board of the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business and the Advisory Boards of the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa , the African Energy Chamber, the World Football Summit , the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) , the EurAfrican Forum , the Task Force for the FIFA – CAF Infrastructure Development Project, and the International Committee of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) . 

APO Group has been the Official Public Relations Partner of Rugby Africa for several years, and the two organizations have worked together closely to develop Rugby Africa’s international visibility and reputation. 

Alongside its role within African rugby, APO Group is also the Pan-African Public Relations agency of FIFA, the NBA, and the Basketball Africa League, as well as being the Strategic Partner of the Olympic Movement in Africa (ANOCA). It is the Official Partner of many other prominent sporting organizations including iconic French football club Olympique de Marseille (OM) and the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).

In 2021, Nicolas was appointed Award Director of the Rugby Africa Media & Photography Awards and has assembled a fantastic judging panel  from the worlds of business and sport. The Jury panel of 85 consisted of prominent companies such as DHL, Google, Uber, Jaguar Land Rover, Kenya Airways, John Deere, Lufthansa Group, Pfizer, Qatar Airways, MTN, Radisson Hotel Group, Visa, Universal Music Africa, Canon, and many others.

“On both a personal and a professional level, it is fantastic to have Nicolas as a Special Advisor,” said Herbert Mensah, President of Rugby Africa. “His expertise, experience and network transcends the worlds of business, media and sport, and he has already proved to be an invaluable partner as we look to raise the profile of African rugby.”

“It is a privilege to be appointed as Special Advisor to Herbert Mensah,” said Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder and Chairman of APO Group. “Herbert is someone I greatly admire, and I know that we share a vision for the sport of rugby in Africa. I look forward to working together as we continue to create new opportunities for promotion and investment.”


This is a joint press release by Rugby Africa and APO Group.

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