Our Franklyn elite sports division focuses on the specialist financial planning that elite sports professionals need. After all, sporting careers are unique, with earnings typically limited to relatively few years, and the potential for disruption through serious injury threatening to bring careers to a premature end. Maximising career earnings and planning for the future are therefore crucial, and that’s where we’re well equipped to help.
The division is headed up by rugby union star Will Cliff, a scrum half known for his appearances with Bristol Bears and years of loyal service with Sale Sharks. Will is well aware of the opportunities and challenges that those who earn a living in elite sports face, and we’re proud to have him playing such a key role on our own team.
Will is already a familiar Franklyn face, and from July this year he’ll be joining us full time. In advance of this move from rugby pitch to the field of financial planning, we caught up with Will to give us the low down on exactly what he does, how he helps sports professionals and also a few more personal questions about the man himself.
What is Franklyn Elite Sports?
How long have you got? In a nutshell, Franklyn Elite Sports provides sport professionals with bespoke financial advice and a network which aims to maximise their career earnings.
Will, why did you join Franklyn?
The first thing I thought of was the number of times I’ve been out drinking with Andy! (That’s Andrew Chatterton, our managing director.)
Well, I’ve known Andy and the team for around six years now, they started working on my own personal finances, they were brilliant, the most caring people I’d come across and they really wanted the best for me. They’re a really close knit team that I feel really grateful to be a part of, everyone enjoys what they do.
Are there any similarities between being a financial adviser and being an elite sports professional?
I’m not a financial adviser but Franklyn are very much a team, and that’s where the comparisons are. The advisers and the office support team, all have to work hard, together, in order for the whole organisation to be
a success.
It’s like all businesses, if you want to be brilliant, if you want to be the best around, the best in the world, at whatever your profession is, it all comes down to hard work and the time that you put into it.
It’s clear to see, with the amount of work that everyone puts in at Franklyn, that is where everyone wants to be and where they want to stay.
What will you miss the most about rugby when you join Franklyn full-time in July?
I’ll 100% miss the people the most, the lads, and the environment in the changing rooms and around the Club. As well as that I’ll miss the feeling of running out on the pitch, winning the game and finishing the game. You prep all week then there’s no better feeling than walking off the pitch, with the lads, having won the game.
You are all in it together, running out in front of ten thousand people and then winning, that will be really hard to replace.
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You can read the full interview and hear more about Will’s journey on page 18 of our Franklyn Magazine, download your copy here.
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