Chiefs open up on mental health issues
Chiefs Rugby is doing its best to bury its ‘‘bad boy’’ image and put its influence to good use, with four of its stars speaking out about mental health.
Angus Ta’avao, Toni Pulu, Shaun Stevenson and Ryan Coxon are advising people to speak up about their life struggles before it’s too late.
Their discussion features on the team’s YouTube channel Chiefs TV , with the clip published the same week Chiefs halfback Brad Weber spoke out against Wallabies star Israel Folau’s controversial comments on the LBGT community and wore rainbow boot laces in support.
At one point in the 12-minute clip, giant prop Ta’avao breaks down recalling a tough period in his life when his cousin didn’t reach out for help. He sends the message to open up.
‘‘I think that’s the scary thing we talk to each other here right now, we talk to people every day, but you don’t really know exactly what’s going on inside. I don’t know what’s going on inside your head, you don’t know what’s going on inside my head. I could put on this brave face like a mask and we don’t know what it is,’’ said Ta’avao.
‘‘I guess I have been lucky or fortunate because I haven’t gone through that stuff but I lost my cousin. Like he thought he was all right and you know, next thing, he’s gone.’’
The YouTube clip aligns with New Zealand Rugby’s one-year-old ‘‘Headfirst’’ website, created as a one-stop-shop for the entire rugby community to seek help, advice and knowledge on ‘‘mental fitness’’.
Pulu too speaks about his past struggles and turning to alcohol after he broke up with a former girlfriend.
The winger admits that his depression lasted the better part of two years and at one stage he didn’t think he would make it out of it.
‘‘When do you know when it is time to talk? I think you know when it’s time to talk as it’s right at that point.
‘‘We broke up and she was my first love. I was in bad shape for about two years.
I was at that stage when I thought it was the end, I turned to alcohol and I knew it was time to talk. I ended up reaching out to one of my mates and to this day he helped me through it.
‘‘I was just in that stage when your mind just blanks out and you just know that nothing matters, nothing else matters. the biggest thing would be talking, the longer you leave it inside you the worst it’s going to get, i found that for myself.’’
The video is a big step forward for the Chiefs, who were embroiled in controversy two years ago when members of their Super Rugby team gathered for a ‘‘Mad Monday’’ session which led to allegations against them by a stripper and resulted in apologies from team management. NZR TAKING ACTION NZR’s Headfirst website was created over a year ago and has since had over 14,000 visitors from the rugby community and 5000 players engaging in online surveys.
NZR education and wellbeing manager Dr Nathan Price said the website was introduced as a necessity because the rugby demographic is made of those in ‘‘high risk’’ categories under New Zealand suicide statistics.
New Zealand has one of the highest suicide rates in the OECD, 75 per cent of mental health issues start before the age of 25, one in five Kiwis experience mental illness, male suicide rates are three times higher than female and Maori youth suicide 2-1/2 times higher than non-Maori.
‘‘Like it or not rugby and rugby players have a strong voice and a strong influence on people and what can we use that for? This seemed like a really really good cause and although we are not the experts or should we be. But if we can help the conversation along with support, if we normalise it and say it’s okay to play rugby and struggle with your mental health,’’ Price says.
‘‘Rugby players are perceived as these tough non-vulnerable dominant macho-male combination. But if they put their hand up and say well I struggle, I was down and I have terrible anxiety or whatever then we can help reduce that stigma or at least have a conversation about it.’’
Price said NZR wish to continue using their own brand and influence in the mental health space.
‘‘It is often a taboo subject, mental health. Ten years ago it wasn’t talked about much and now we’ve got players like Nehe MilnerSkudder, Ruby Tui and Kevin Mealamu coming out and saying it’s okay and this is what I do to keep myself healthy. I get high levels of stress like every other human being.’’
Full video of Toni, Shaun, Angus and Ryan chatting on mental health and their experience.