Ugo Monye's cousin Olise signs for London Welsh ahead of 2026/27 season

Olise Monye, a 23-year-old scrum-half and cousin of former England and Lions winger Ugo Monye, has signed for London Welsh ahead of the 2026/27 season, the club confirmed.

Monye comes with a varied pedigree. A product of the Oratory School with a Law degree, he made three Cup appearances for Wasps in the 2021/22 season before representing Great Britain on the Rugby Europe 7s circuit. He subsequently had stints in National League One with Rams Rugby and Chinnor before landing at the Exiles.

His more famous relative, Ugo Monye, won 30 caps for England and toured with the British & Irish Lions before retiring from professional rugby and building a prominent career as a television presenter and pundit.

London Welsh themselves carry a storied but turbulent history. Founded 141 years ago, the club attracted legends of the game — among them JPR Williams, Mervyn Davies and John Dawes — and ranked among the most powerful names in club rugby during the 1960s and 1970s. The arrival of the league system in 1987 saw them spend the bulk of their time in the second tier, with two brief appearances in the Premiership before the club folded entirely in 2016.

What followed was a remarkable rebuild. Starting again at level nine of the English pyramid, Welsh earned five promotions in seven seasons to return to the National Leagues. That renaissance was overseen by Director of Rugby Cai Griffiths, who stepped down at the end of the most recent campaign after the club finished ninth in the 14-team National 2 East.

Jon Shankland has moved from Head of Performance to fill the vacancy, and the coaching structure beneath him has been overhauled. Two new arrivals bring Premiership experience to the setup: Harlequins flanker Will Evans takes charge of forwards and defence, while former London Irish forward Mike Willemse focuses on the scrum and set-piece.

Olise Monye’s signing adds further depth to a squad that Welsh will hope can push further up the National League pyramid in the seasons ahead.