Promoting Mental Well-being in Rugby League Communities

Abstract

Rugby League Cares (RLC) was created in 2012 to bring together the UK rugby league family of charities—the Rugby League Foundation, Benevolent Fund and Heritage Trust—and acts as umbrella and coordinator for a network of local club-based Foundations. Its mission is to enhance and enrich people’s lives through the power and positive influence of rugby league—working with local communities to help people lead a more positive and healthy life through the delivery of high-quality sports, educational, employment, heritage and health-based activities. In recognition of the fact that men are significantly less likely to seek support for mental health problems, or to receive a diagnosis of stress, anxiety or depression (particularly in more deprived communities associated with rugby league), RLC and local Foundations, with financial support from Sport Relief, established a Mental Well-being Programme to: Create and deliver projects for ‘at-risk’ groups to improve mental well-being Raise awareness of the services available and promote pathways for those in need Build relationships between Foundations, their local communities and partners—particularly local NHS and expert charities Increase capacity within clubs, giving staff more confidence and knowledge about mental health issues Generate new knowledge of how sport and clubs can reach and positively influence local communities, which could be shared throughout rugby league and more widely Drawing on centrally available advice and support, and with the involvement of their clubs and players, Foundations were free to use their allocated funding and own resources to develop and successfully deliver projects suited to locally identified needs. Initiatives ranged from delivery of a mental well-being and physical activity programme (‘Tackle It’) to increase resilience and self-esteem among at-risk men aged 24–75, to provision of support for young men suffering from depression as a result of unemployment.