Former Manchester United and Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon to become a rugby agent But he insisted that it was a positive result of the game's increasingly global profile. "Rugby is continuing to grow globally," Kenyon told Telegraph Sport. It will become an Olympic sport in 2016 and the structures continue to develop in a very positive way. As an industry it is looking very healthy. I think one of the key issues [for rugby] in terms of what happens in football is that the talent is going to be seen as coming from anywhere. It ceases to be just domestic. I think we will see more movement of players and coaches. One of the things we have seen in football is the influence of media and monies coming into the sport which does have a direct impact on investment. There are several indications that TV is going to become more interested in rugby and as a consequence of that I think we are going to have these power shifts from time to time. I think we will see more media interest and bigger TV deals over the next decade and that money in the main will go back into the sport which will be good. Kenyon's decision to take a strategic position with Esportif - whose clients include Wales and British and Irish Lions duo Jonathan Davies and Mike Phillips and England flanker James Haskell - reflects his view of the potential growth of rugby as a global sport. Duncan Sandlant, Esportif's European managing director, said that Kenyon's appointment marked a significant step towards the company's development as "the leading global rugby management agency." It coincides with the company's merger with the Irish rugby agency Corner Flag Management to create Esportif Ireland. Corner Flag's client list includes Lions Tommy Bowe, Rory Best, Stephen Ferris and Tom Court along with Ireland internationals Donnacha Ryan and Devin Toner. While the Rugby Football Union has sought to prevent the leading England players from leaving the Premiership by insisting that it would pick only home-based players, Kenyon believes that such restrictive practices do not work in the long term. "I think artificial measures are always difficult in the long term and ultimately people want to see the best players playing with the best clubs in whatever country they are," he said. That's ultimately what attracts sponsors, TV and fans to continue to come to the games. I think it is right to want to protect your national game and clubs but it has got to be in balance. These things can evolve and don't have to be done all at once. But the most positive thing is that the industry will continue to grow over the next decade. Kenyon is also unperturbed by the impasse over the future of European club rugby. He sees the conflict is a natural consequence of greater commercial interest in rugby as the clubs and governing bodies clash over control. I think in some ways these are all normal and healthy tensions associated with the industry and the business growing. And I think in many ways quite rightly. I see these things as good overall for the development as it proves the game is moving on.