NRLA Management
National Team Coaches
Bolu Fagborun
Men's Coach
Bolu is a former professional rugby league player with Huddersfield Giants, Sheffield eagles, Batley and Rochdale hornets. He played internationally for Nigeria scoring their first ever try in 2019 and managed the Nigeria National team to success in the Middle East and Africa competition in Ghana 2022.
Bolu is involved in sports at an executive level at Bradford Bulls as one of a handful of Corporate Social Responsibility Directors in rugby league. He is also a trustee at two sports charities in the UK; Bradford Bulls foundation and East Bierley Community Sports Association (Ebcsa), the charity behind Birkenshaw Bluedogs in West Yorkshire.
Samson Okeowo Oluwaseye
Women's Head Coach
Samson played Friends of Rugby Association League and NRFF Rugby Union League with ECOII RFC as player for about 11 years and later became the Head Coach.
Samson is also the Head Coach of Lagos Haven/Lagos Bulls.
He is the General Manager of NRLA Youth Development, An Assistant Coach of NRLA National Men’s Team and The Head Coach of NRLA National Women’s Team, Lagos State Commission Rugby Coach. An iTry Coach, Get-into- Rugby Coach and Ibudo Academy Chief Coach
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Luke Shearman
Asst. Women's Coach
Luke Shearman has a long history of skill development and training within the rugby league sphere.
Coaching juniors right through to open women’s rugby league in Sydney, Australia – Luke is currently coaching open women’s rugby league in one of the strongest local competitions in Australia and also working as part of the West Tigers female pathways competition with their Lisa Fiola representative side.
Luke also runs a rugby league development program working with athletes ranging from 10 years old right through to senior rugby league. Luke also works with athletes competing in the NSW Harvey Norman Women’s competition and also within NRLW.
Associates
Wuraola Hussain
Welfare Manager
Player welfare manager of Nigeria Rugby League and currently the vice president of Ibudo Rugby Academy, a Level 2 female referee and a match commissioner is a dynamic, versatile and visionary Rugby enthusiast, who has carved a niche in grassroots Rugby development. She has worked with different secondary schools in Lagos and Ogun State, as a volunteer Rugby coach, discovering and developing young talents.
Managerial Core
Abiodun Olawale-Cole
Chairman
Abiodun is an avid rugby fan passionate about growing Rugby league in Nigeria. Abiodun played 1st team Rugby League at Loughborough University, American football for North of England students and Derby university before returning to London to play rugby union for Mill Hill and London Nigeria rugby teams.
In his free time, he plays touch rugby and flag American football in Lagos Nigeria whilst working full time in consumer market research.
Ade Adebisi
Vice Chairman
Ade Adebisi General Manager and Vice President of Nigeria Rugby League is an ex professional rugby league player who has made appearances for teams such as the London Broncos, Skolars, Whitehaven, Featherstone Rovers, Doncaster and Hull FC. Ade’s previous experience had been in senior management at Wilson James UK responsible for securing vital contracts,a key driver at Tobat Industries Lagos as operations director and a founding partner of Provectus Global resources. He is also the U.K ambassador of the sickle cell society
Adam Sada
Operation Director
Adam Sada is an ex-professional rugby league player with London Broncos who has been called up for England Students and Great Britain Under 21 Squad. Since retiring Adam has maintained a good network of past players who have moved into various roles within the sport. In his professional career, Adam has spent the last 20 years working within Financial Services on a variety of change and transformation initiatives across the investment management, retail banking, and insurance sectors.
Isah Lawal-Saulawa
General Manager
Isah’s journey in rugby league began as a schoolboy and quickly progressed to join the Hemel Stags Academy, where he honed his skills as a winger, centre, scrum half, as an all around back.
During his time at the University of Northampton, Gaining a Masters in Governance and Leadership along with a BA in HR & Management Isah continued to showcase his rugby league prowess, playing for the University’s Men’s Rugby League team “Gremlins”.
Upon returning to Nigeria, Isah played a pivotal role in re-establishing the Abuja RFC. He also represented Nigeria in the Nationals 7s tournament in Zimbabwe, showcasing his skills on the international stage.
Michael Ogunbiyi
Director of Strategy
Michael is a former rugby player with over 20 years of experience.
A co-founder of the University of London Rugby League team in 1991/92 and played Rugby leave for 2+ years before setting up a Rugby Union club (London Tribes) which competed in the Middlesex leagues.
Yemi Bakre
Marketing Director
With a degree in Marketing Management and Information Technology, Yemi has worked with various global companies in many industries to help harness solutions and build business success. She brings her experience to the league as Head of Marketing.
Mozez Praiz
Media Director
Mozez Praiz, affectionately known as GreyBoss, is a distinguished sportscaster, presenter, and model with over a decade of experience in African sports media. He has hosted SuperSport’s Africa Sport On and covered prestigious events such as the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro, and numerous AFCON tournaments, making history as the first non-South African to host the AFCON final. Additionally, Mozez is a seasoned radio broadcaster on Smooth 98.1 FM and a brand ambassador who has worked with top brands, including TAG Heuer
Nosakhare Agwoje
Director of Rugby for NRLA
Nosakhare Agwoje is an avid rugby player and former national team player, Nosa brings a deep commitment to developing the sport and elevating rugby’s profile in Nigeria and across Africa. His vision includes strengthening local talent, enhancing grassroots programs, and building a competitive pathway for Nigerian players on the international stage.
Okeke Oluwaseyi Chika
Sales and Marketing Director
Highly accomplished PR/Brand Strategist, Oluwaseyi Chika, has carved a niche in sales and marketing, driving growth across diverse sectors, including Engineering/IT, Finance, and E-commerce. His impressive portfolio includes:
