Don’t just build a career, build a legacy

Life after sport can be daunting, and there’s always concern about what comes next. After earning a Master’s Degree in Sports Management and Leadership and a First Class Honours degree in Sports Management from Cardiff Metropolitan University, Maltese Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Games athlete Charlotte Wingfield has always had a passion for Sports Management and what will come next after her athletics career.

At 29, she has been competing in athletics for 17 years. Looking back, the decisions she made at an early age have moulded her future. Resilience has played a vital role in her journey. People with resilience tend to have a higher tolerance for emotional distress generated by challenging times. The more resilient you are, the better you are able to tolerate feelings of stress, anxiety, and sadness, that accompany trauma and adversity.

Throughout her work within athlete transition, it was quite clear that rugby players were the athletes who suffered the most after retiring from professional sport. They believe that playing sports is the only path they can take, and that when they quit playing, they lose their identity.

Working in athlete transition made it very clear that agents were falling short in providing their clients with the fullest possible support—both on and off the field. Since the agent ultimately represents the client, it is their responsibility to make sure the services they are rendering meet the client’s needs.

‘’Working full time and training full time can be exhausting. As high achievers, we set such high expectations for ourselves that when we don’t deliver, we feel like we’ve let ourselves down. However, the smile on our clients’ faces this week after all the hard work is something the team should cherish,’’ says Charlotte.

Change the narrative

Being a woman, and working in a very male dominant environment can be overwhelming. Women in sports face unique challenges, but commitment and perseverance can lead to changing the narrative and Charlotte is extremely passionate about this. Her role is to establish unbelievable relationships with clients and partners to guide them in the right direction, both on and off the pitch

Charlotte believed that things needed to change, and the first step toward making sure rugby players were supported on and off the field was taken when she was hired as Head of Player Commercial and Careers by Legacy Sports Group. As part of her job, she partners with companies who work with Legacy and provides them with exclusive discounts and partnership gifts and bundles. Partnerships so far include working with brands such as VX3, OddBalls, Vow Nutrition, Grenade, The Fat Butcher and many more.

Furthermore, she also looks for work experience opportunities in the field that the players are interested in and feel they would like to follow post rugby. Considering this, she makes sure that each player has a LinkedIn page, a CV, and makes use of their free time by talking to people who are knowledgeable in the field of interest.

The game is changing

Legacy Sports Group was born out of necessity, out of experience, out of a desire to provide the service players deserve. They provide a unique service, one that truly puts the player at the heart of everything they do. With a team of three; Kris Purnell (Registered Agent), Charlotte Wingfield and Rynard Landman, they are ready to change the game and build a legacy.