It’s not necessarily because of the prowess they helped build on the pitch but because of a close and supportive relationship that helped the player build resilience in life.

Rich Berry sees coaches and teachers as having the potential to fulfil an essential role for young people living in a modern, challenging world. He also wants rugby clubs to take mental health first aid as seriously as they do physical health first aid. And he knows what he’s talking about.  

Rich has been involved in rugby for 46 years. He has played for, captained, coached and is now President of Old Bristolians. Starting as a PE teacher, he became a PE teaching deputy head and is now head teacher in the specialist sector of social emotional mental health.

He has brought this experience to the role of club safeguarding & welfare officer, in his training to become a Play it Safe deliverer and the Gloucestershire RFU’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Ambassador.

“From my day-to-day role, my understanding of neuroscience and how the brain grows has influenced my interaction with the children I teach and coach,” he says. “Building good social attachments with young people helps them deal with what they face on and off a rugby pitch.”

Rich has discussed with preeminent neuroscientist and doctors the vulnerability of the young; the fact that 50% of mental health issues are manifested by the age of 14, and 75% by the age of 24.

He quotes Frederick Douglas’ maxim that ‘It is easier to build strong children than repair broken men.’

“We need to remove the stigma around mental health and to be more aware that suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in this country. If we can prevent one by being mental health aware then we are making a difference.

“Relationships with adults are really important,” says Rich “because  young people emotionally attached to adults are better able to deal with stress and anxiety thanks to the brain enabling them to self-calm.”

Currently, a Developing Player Programme coach in the Bristol Bears Academy, says Rich: “My own coaching has developed hugely as my knowledge from a professional standpoint has grown.

“Professionally I found I was delivering talks on how to grow mentally healthy young people in schools and yet on a Sunday I was seeing behaviours from adults as coaches and parents that didn’t support this.

“This prompted me to adapt my school-based presentations to reflect the need for a change in how adults coach kids and how parents support their children. Shouting can evoke emotions in kids which stops them learning.”

Untrained coaches may, says Rich, simply reflect coaching methods they themselves endured.

“The Quilter Kids First programme has been fantastic in growing people’s understanding of how best to coach young people.  It’s no longer drill based as in the past but is developing young players through playing and making their own decisions.

“I have now presented at a large number of clubs to both coaches and parents. I’ve supported clubs who have suffered the loss of a senior and a junior player to suicide and helped them signpost members to local support services.

“I believe my biggest impact is in supporting coaches and parents to understand how to grow more resilience in our young people.”