O'Sullivan joins new management agency

World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has signed up with a new management company, days after announcing that he was putting his snooker career on hold. O'Sullivan announced last week that he had decided to sit out the rest of the 2012-13 season in order to address personal issues, thereby preventing him from defending his world title. On Friday, talent management agency Merlin Elite revealed that he has joined its roster for "full management". Merlin already represents former sport stars including cricketer Andrew Flintoff, rugby union player Matt Dawson, heptathlete Denise Lewis and footballer Jamie Redknapp. All four of those currently enjoy successful careers in the media, which suggests that O'Sullivan is beginning to look beyond his snooker career.