‘Some agents go missing when players need them the most’

MIKE Brown was never going to use the lockdowns as a chance to take it easy. Concerned that players were having to deal with the economic fall-out from the pandemic, such as wage cuts and job losses, on their own he decided to do something about it after talking to his then Harlequins teammate, Martin Landajo, the Argentina scrum-half, below.

Brown and Landajo, who have more than 150 international caps between them, were last week appointed strategic advisors by Premier Sports Network who have set up an athletic management division, PSN Athlete Management, which will focus on player welfare and care.

“Our thinking was that there had to be more to a relationship between players and agents than there is at the moment,” said Brown. “We are not saying that all agents are bad because there are some who do a decent job, but we felt there should be more to it and that a network should be set up around players.

“I have been fortunate because in my career I have tried to set up good people around me who look after the mental and physical side of being a rugby player as well as the financial aspect. They do everything in my best interests and they have helped me progress my time as a player.

“I have heard players throughout my career moaning about agents, saying they do not see them until their contract is up and then they go missing again. The Rugby Players’ Association does a good job, but it has to look after loads of players, and some clubs help when it comes to care, but not all.

“We just felt agents should take up the slack when it comes to the care and wellness side and help work out what players will do after their careers come to an end. I started talking with Martin during the first lockdown when everyone was going through pay cuts. We chatted about what we had experienced during our careers and that led to a conversation about agents.

“We drew up a plan and then I had a connection to Spencer Hidge, who founded PSN, and he liked the idea. He had been thinking about setting up a management division in rugby and the three of us came up with this. Martin and I speak to players to see if they are happy or not and it is something I feel is important.”

Brown has not had an agent since he was 24, using his father in-law, who has a football background, to help him negotiate contracts. It has meant he has not had to give up a percentage of his wages and having established a strong network around him, he has achieved the balance he wants others to enjoy.

“It was a really rough time for players during the lockdown,” he said. “Players did not have the right support to provide help, left to deal with the clubs themselves. I feel the relationship between an agent and a player should be a family one, someone who is there to look after their best interests. Like me, Martin does not have an agent.

“It means helping when a player moves clubs and has to relocate and not go missing at a time they are needed the most. I was lucky in that I had longterm contracts with Harlequins and I had a great relationship with Conor O’Shea when he was director of rugby. Quins was not a place I wanted to leave. Why would I need or want an agent?”

Agents are currently in dispute with the 13 Premiership clubs over fees and have said no new contracts will be negotiated until the differences between the two sides are resolved.

“I think it will be sorted out soon,” said Brown. “It will make agents have to prove their worth even more and

rightly so. There are some decent ones, but Martin and I are offering players something different, putting

them, first.”