Rugby Clubs Make a Difference in Mental Wellbeing
The Mental Health Foundation introduced Mental Health Awareness Week 21 years ago, the event becoming one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally.
Many of us will experience a mental health problem in our lives, which is why the RFU and Simplyhealth, as the trusted healthcare partner to England Rugby and the official lead partner for the RugbySafe programme, want to put player welfare at the heart of the game. They are working to keep the whole rugby community healthy, enhancing wellbeing in rugby and everyday life.
Rugby clubs across the country are also mindful of the part they play in members’ lives and are keen to help when they face mental challenges. A rugby club provides both a sporting and social life, offers physical and mental wellbeing and can also be the support that people need when they are feeling at their lowest.
At the very worst, mental health issues can result in lives lost. The Samaritans most recent figures show rising suicide rates, women’s suicides at under 25 at their highest level and the highest level of deaths involving men in their 40s and women in their early 50s. Sadly, many rugby club members have encountered lives lost to mental health challenges.
The hope is that the stigma around talking about our mental health and the resulting risks are being reduced by training in spotting the signs and a readiness to step in and offer help.
Just One Click Away
Welwyn RFC in Hertfordshire, having lost three young players to suicide, decided that they had to make it very clear that they were there to listen and offer support and set up JOCA (Just One Click Away) four years ago. Since then they have supported some 120 people who felt able to reach out to them and where necessary they can provide a counsellor for free within 24 hours.
Justin Burgess, who has been a player since the age of 14, is the club’s welfare officer and chairman of JOCA. He is also a funeral director in a family firm and stood at the service of one of his club members deciding “This has got to stop!”
“I feel so passionate about the need to destigmatise mental illness,” he said. “We have to get people to talk and to put something robust in place to help. I’m very glad to see other clubs joining Welwyn as part of JOCA. The seed is being sewn and we now have Bishop’s Stortford, Hatfield, St Neots, Verulamians, St Albans and Tabard involved. Regardless of what colour shirt you wear, it’s about looking after each other, talking about mental health. Bringing that to clubs and normalising it might just save somebody.
“To be part of JOCA and become an adult helper you have to do a mental health awareness course. Helping with mental health is as important as taking the right action on an injury. It has really galvanised our club, members, players and parents. Being involved in something like JOCA is doing something really positive. When I go to other clubs and people press money into my hand for the charity I would much sooner they set something up in their club. Starting the conversation really matters.”
Bishops Stortford’s Neil Clark says, having lost a player to suicide, they met up with Welwyn at the end of 2019 and joined JOCA.
“If we can have a conversation, listen, offer support and guidance when it’s needed just maybe we could save a life, a relationship, a poor decision or a wrong move,” he explained.
“We had our wellbeing committee set up within two months, organised a mental health first aid course, briefed 1,500 members, engaged local counsellors and health professionals and fundraised. We launched JOCA@BSRFC in February last year and in 15 months have supported over 70 hours of professional sessions for a range of health issues raised; raised over £4,000 and branded our First XV and mini shirts.”
Hertfordshire is one of the RFU’s geographic Constituent Bodies supporting mental health awareness and their Council member, David Roberts, is also chairman of the Community Game Board.
“We frequently refer to the rugby family and I am very pleased to see our clubs driving this mental wellbeing initiative,” he said. “I would like to thank all the volunteers doing such amazing work on behalf of the game and the wider rugby community, both here in Hertfordshire and across the country. We’ve all been through a tremendously challenging time and support for each other has never been needed more.
Trained mental health first aiders
Bicester RUFC puts as much emphasis on supporting mental as physical health, raising awareness among parents and volunteers and securing grant funding to have trained mental health first aiders for every team and section of the club.
Craig Morley Under 8s Coach and Club Secretary has been behind the drive to tackle the stigma around mental health. He says: “The past 12 months have taken a mental toll on many of us, especially young people. I've had conversions with parents in the club who are experiencing increasing challenging and aggressive behaviour from their children, who were previously well balanced. And while the true impact of lockdowns on young people is only just starting to be understood, they have been experiencing worsening mental health for years, particularly with online bullying.
"Rugby clubs can not only provide an outlet for young people to let off steam, they build a sense of community and a support network. Playing team sports after long periods of isolation can help improve happiness and wellbeing. Being around friends and teammates who care about us can make a huge difference. The club, team coaches and volunteers have an important role to play in supporting good mental health.”
Macclesfield RUFC give mental wellbeing a prominent place at Priory Lane. A thriving club with teams at all ages, their mental health lead is Liz Jarratt, who plays for the ladies and has a son in the U14s and a daughter in the U9s.
Said Liz: “We really wanted to put mental health, recognising signs that people may be struggling and sign posting help, at the forefront. I’m one of three trained mental health first aiders. Recently ten more people throughout the club took their qualification to ensure they can spot and signpost help on mental health issues.
“We have taken the pledge with Give a Ruck which helps people feel more comfortable talking openly and honestly about their mental health and wellbeing, inspired by players who had the strength and courage to speak out. Our online session as part of that involved some 35 club members from the first team down to an Under 7s coach. I’m also an ambassador for Give a Ruck now. During lockdown 15 of us in the ladies team took on a Give a Ruck walking and cycling challenge which both lifted our spirits and raised £3,500 for the Samaritans.
“We’re a partner club with Loose Headz, whose rugby clothes help fund putting mental health leads in clubs. They are involved in our sevens festival in July to help get the message out and remove the stigma around mental health. It’s very important because people do struggle, or have family members struggling with depression and anxiety, particularly after the past year when everyone found it hard going. It’s been a difficult time and getting young players back on the pitch is essential to give them some normality again.”
The biggest cause of suicide is untreated depression
Claire Jackson, Mental Health Nurse - Trinity School
Claire Jackson who is lead mental health nurse at Trinity School and has the lovely title of Head of Happiness at Old Rutlishians RFC, produced some fantastic wellbeing videos for club members during lockdown, mainly aimed at parents and coaches. Many players were watching and benefitting from them too. Shared with other Surrey clubs, they struck a chord and received lots of positive feedback
Said Claire: “Mental and physical health are inextricably linked. We place huge value on physical health, training and diet, all of which is both relevant and important. However, with one in four young people now struggling with their mental health, Old Ruts have been working to increase their knowledge and understanding of mental and emotional health issues to make a difference to their members. This in turn is reducing the stigma and discrimination that continues to surround mental health and stops people accessing vital support and help. Ruts have recognised that increasing education around mental health within the club is giving both trusted adults and players the confidence and knowledge to reach out, sign-post and make a difference.
“Every individual in life needs a sense of belonging and a tribe to belong to. Ruts fosters this feeling of inclusion and being part of something bigger. Suicide rates are increasing on a daily basis. These are preventable deaths and the fact that we are losing so many young people, especially young men, to this is scandalous. The biggest cause of suicide is untreated depression as people are not accessing help. Let’s all stand together and make a difference through education, noticing the young people around us and encouraging them to talk. It’s ok to not be ok, but it’s not ok to not ask for help. At Ruts we are helping them find their voice.”
Brave Mind
A former Henley RFC player has launched a charity to make talking about and supporting one another with mental health in the rugby community the norm. Simon Trower played for Henley from the age of six until injury ruled him out in his mid-twenties. That experience, his own struggles, and helping a young player at another club has seen him create Brave Mind, which is now piloting mental health programmes with his Henley club and The Henley College/Ealing Trailfinders Elite Rugby initiative. Other clubs have also shown keen interest in running the Brave Mind programme.
“From a young age rugby played a huge part of my life, I’d been away from the game a long time so decided to volunteer at my local club, Maidenhead RFC.” he said. “While supporting the coaching team, a young player called Michael Guida joined the club. He openly spoke about his mental health, showing vulnerability to the wider group. His courage and bravery inspired me. Talking to others about anti-depressants and counselling is not easy. He had been in a dark place and supporting him to get back playing confidently is where the idea of setting up Brave Mind started.
“I signed up to a mental health first aid course via MHFA England which also opened my eyes to the huge number of issues out there for people – OCD, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, suicide to name but a few. It affirmed to me that I wanted to do more to demonstrate it’s OK to be vulnerable, to put your hand up. I’m a 6ft 2 former inside centre and people might not think I’ve had mental health challenges, it’s the whole masculinity piece, mental health isn’t a normal conversation to have but it should be.
“A former teammate documented my story in 2020 and the response was overwhelming. Most people have been affected by their own mental health issues or those of someone in their family. I officially launched the Brave Mind charity in February, having created the programme alongside sports psychologists and shared it with appropriate experts & advisors. I’m an ex-rugby player who has experienced depression and anxiety, not a mental health professional, so credibility was essential. Henley RFC were keen to deliver it from the U6s through to senior men and women. There’s a huge need for programmes like ours and those of other charities. With anticipation of a huge wave of anxiety after lockdown rugby clubs are ideally placed to offer help. As a sport and a society, we are beginning to deal with mental health awareness but it’s a monumental task and the disturbing stats are still going up. If we prevent one suicide, we will have done our job.”
Henley chairman Chris Nixon said: “We are delighted to be the first club to work closely with Brave Mind. Looking after our mental health has never been more important and we want everyone associated with Henley Rugby Club to know how seriously we take this issue. Help and support is there if people need it - please don't suffer in silence.”
Showing they care
At Barnes RFC in West London, the death from Covid-19 of a much loved member spurred a desire to make a difference which continues as #Barnowcares.
Said club chairman, Michael Whitfield: “Stories emerged of the effect of the pandemic while the club was unable to provide either sport or a social life as a release. Single people living alone, older former players and those shielding were really suffering, some with depression, some drinking too much, some just incredibly lonely. The common theme was that our rugby club formed a central part of their lives, both on and off the pitch. It made us realise the importance of a rugby club to its community, and its positive benefit on mental health.
“Several of our members said they wanted to show others that needed some support that we really cared about them, and spread a little happiness by sending out small care packages. Our Head Coach, Joe Gray, took up the baton and raised over £2000 to fund this. We sent out over 60 care packages, helping put a smile on the faces of people that most needed it, while reinforcing that the club is here for them. Mental health is not just a pandemic-related issue, and we know that we must maintain our #BarnowCares initiative well after this pandemic recedes and we are already planning ways to do this.
“We need to maintain our awareness of people’s mental health. Those suffering depression may be the last ones we would expect, and we need to be able to talk to them, and be there for them through their troubled times. I think clubs have become closer to the RFU as a result of the pandemic, with the RFU demonstrating a greater understanding of our needs, and supporting and promoting the things many clubs have done in their local communities to help those in need. We are incredibly well placed to work together to raise awareness of mental health and isolation. We can show that we are there for our members, signposting the help available, and offering emotional and other support at the right time. Clubs who have lost players, ex-players and members, who have taken their own lives, already know what a big difference this could make. Now is the time for rugby to raise funds, raise awareness and raise people’s spirits - let’s all work together and make that happen”.
When injury intervenes
Sometimes injury creates additional stress for players and then the importance of support can’t be overstated. Nina Dawe former Bath Spa University RFC player, now at Crewkerne RFC in Somerset explained: “In my third year of university I sustained a knee injury that ruled me out for my final rugby season with my uni team. For three months I couldn’t train, run or exercise. This took a massive toll on all aspects of my health as I used and relied on rugby and exercise to stay fit and as an outlet for stress and anxiety. Suddenly my main coping mechanisms had been taken away from me and I could feel my mental health starting to decline.
“My teammates and coaches encouraged me to attend every rugby session despite being unable to train, and this meant that I could still be really actively involved with the team and start to develop in a coaching role. My teammates were the only people who could fully understand the struggle of being ruled out injured, and being able to seek advice from people who had been in my position really prevented an isolating feeling that could have taken hold.
“Knowing that I still had that community to support me, despite not playing week on week, helped immensely in my physical and mental recovery from injury. When I was given the all clear to play again I had a new found, reignited passion for rugby and value each and every training session - as I know how tough my mental health was to navigate when it was no longer an option.”
