“Not every sportsperson is marketable and commercial. The first indicator of success is performance. And outside of that, it’s how an athlete connects with their audience”
What links Josh van der Flier, Kelly Harrington, Tadhg Furlong, and the O'Donovan brothers? Behind the scenes, it's David McHugh – advisor, strategist, and one of Irish sport’s most influential figures.
In this episode of Sports Matters, McHugh sits down with Ian Kehoe to talk through a career that’s taken him from Olympic hopeful to founder of Line Up Sports, and now to a leadership role at global agency Wasserman.
He reflects on building trust with athletes, why he avoids the word “agent,” and how commercial sport has evolved from sentiment to science. McHugh also shares how he identifies talent, the future of women’s sport, and what elite performers are really like when they’re not wearing the jersey. Sports Matters is sponsored by Whitney Moore.
