PLAYER REPRESENTATION
THE EVER-CHANGING RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SPORTS AGENT IN ST THE 21 CENTURY Octagon’s Rory Rebbeck, Client Manager at the company, offers an insight into one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment agencies, with 38 years of experience in marketing, sponsorship and talent representation in the player care division. Talent representatives and sports agents have become an increasingly important asset to athletes from a number of disciplines as they look to make their name both inside and outside of a sporting context, through marketing and sponsorship opportunities.
Octagon is just one of those agencies. With their vision to have “a people-first mentality”, it confirms that they are committed to respecting, treating and being able to work with every athlete they come across and strive to be proactive in creating the best possible opportunities for those that they care for. “The traditional sports agent role has changed dramatically in recent years,” stated Rory Rebbeck, Client Manager at Octagon. “As late as the 1990’s, footballers had not embraced the idea of having an agent. The only one out there, as Brian Clough infamously stated, was 007. “Then players started to realise that family, close relatives and friends acting on their behalf in club talks were being offered unfair deals. Cue the rise of the agent. 50 | OTFF ISSUE 15 ★ APRIL 2021
“A good agent will go further than just identifying and negotiating a club or endorsement deal but offer career management, critical analysis and development plans, PR and marketing support, and generating new revenue through strategic marketing and image rights plans. They can play the role of a
can go as far as extending a player’s career through positive nutrition, physical and psychological training programs, in turn helping add years on to an athlete’s projected career lifespan. 38 years within the talent agency space is testament to Octagon’s effectiveness and strategy in caring for athletes now
“Playing careers don’t last forever, so being prepared for what lies ahead post-sport is integral and an area we focus on greatly, setting up and aligning a client’s passions to a postcareer transition, that is smooth and strategic.” lawyer, a social media advisor, a wealth manager, day-to-day life coach and therapist. “As a colleague once told me: you even play the role of a fireman putting out fires through crisis management. And it doesn’t end there. A really good agent
and looking ahead to towards the end of their careers. Rory believes this is down to their ability “to consider the unexpected, provide learning experiences at the appropriate time and build a players profile so they are ready for whatever lies ahead.”
