Rock Sports, White Rose Enter Strategic Partnership to Help Strengthen Relationships Across North America and Europe

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA/STOCKPORT, ENGLAND – Rock Sports Group and White Rose Sports Management announced Thursday that they have formed a strategic partnership which is designed to immediately help both sports agencies continue to strengthen their respective names and brands throughout North America and Europe.

The basis for the alliance stems from a shared passion of a player performance model where both businesses fervently believe that if their deep, talented rosters are nurtured properly they
will thrive, maximize their potential and prosper both on and off the golf course.

Rock Sports, led by CEO Russell Gray and founder Mac Barnhardt, is based out of St. Simons Island, Georgia and has a roster of players who hail from North and South America. White Rose was established in 2015 by Liverpool Football Club midfielder James Milner, whose close friend and former teammate Adam Lallana joined in 2020. The two co-own the company based in the Greater Manchester area of England with a golf portfolio consisting of players from Europe and the United States.

The collective approach is simple – both companies understand what it takes to work with top professionals and keenly understand what the modern athlete needs to be successful. From commercial and sponsorship partnerships to tailored travel and daily support, the teams at Rock Sports and White Rose are hands-on and handle every behind-the-scenes detail that an athlete would ever need. That then leaves the athlete to focus solely on his or her respective performance.

White Rose founder Milner commented, “White Rose Sports Management are pleased to be entering a strategic partnership with Rock Sports, with shared collective goals to enhance the opportunities for our current clients, to continue to develop our performance driven approach and aide recruitment. Whilst we have seen some great success already, both on and off the course, we wanted to build and expand our operations into the United States. Mac, Russell, and the team at Rock Sports will enable us to continue to grow in the golfing industry.”

Lallana, co-owner added, “James and I are passionate about supporting our athletes using our collective experience in the professional game to help influence decision making and install values that we feel pivotal in succeeding in an elite sporting environment. As owners of White Rose Sports Management, our hands-on approach is to put all the necessary tools, personnel and
infrastructure in place to maximise our client’s potential. Rock Sports are clearly a group of like-minded people who will immediately strengthen the commercial arm of our business who already have a significant presence in the United States which we have been speaking about for a long time.”

“Because the game is such a global game it’s important for us to have a presence in Europe,” said Gray, Rock Sports CEO. “Working with a bunch of like-minded people is what we were looking for and we’ve absolutely found that in White Rose. This will grow both businesses immensely and we couldn’t be more pleased.”

“We’ve known for a long time what it takes to have our athletes play the best that they can for the longest period of time,” Barnhardt said. “Our two groups firmly share this philosophy and joining together will help us be able to share resources to produce even greater success.”

About White Rose Sports Management
Established in 2015 by Liverpool midfielder James Milner, who saw a need for a performance focused management company, to better nurture athletes, helping them to reach their full potential and maximize the chance of lasting success. Milner, himself an avid golfer and single digit handicap, joined with close friend and former teammate Adam Lallana in 2020 and the two co-own White Rose. They believe that talent teamed with performance, attitude and application lead to successful playing careers.

About Rock Sports Group
With over 40 years of experience managing lives of professional athletes worldwide, Rock Sports Group was established by Mac Barnhardt to help athletes achieve their goals in both sports and
life. Rock Sports Group believes that elite athletes are not machines, they’re not assets to be leveraged or exploited. They’re phenomenally talented individuals who must be encouraged, advised and supported so that they can be the best they can be and realize their dreams. Being a professional athlete can bring great prosperity, but prosperity is more than just financial. A well-executed legacy in both sports and life is what Rock Sports Group aims to deliver.

-Rock Sports/White Rose-