STIGMA OF SPEAKING OUT MUST END

Earls delighted as rugby starts to lose its macho image

KEITH EARLS believes rugby’s macho culture is well on the wane – describing the Ireland dressing-room as the best it has ever been.

Earls was blown away by the reaction to his autobiography, ‘Fight or Flight’, and his revelatory Late Late Show interview, when he admitted he was diagnosed with bipolar 2 almost nine years ago.

The 34-year-old Munster and Ireland star recalls Connacht players giving words of encouragement in an interpro clash the night after his RTE appearance – and of important conversations with some of his own colleagues.

“I’d know some of our teammates would have the same issues without really bringing it up,” he said.

“I’ve had plenty of conversations with lads but not too many knew about my own struggles. But it’s been a great reaction from them.

“I’ve got a text off one or two fellas saying they’ve now spoken to someone as well.

“I’ve massive pride in it. It’s a bit crazy really that it hasn’t really been spoken about. I know (the focus on) mental health is getting better, but it’s amazing.

“I’ve looked at a small bit of the reaction and was overwhelmed by a lot of the messages, but it relaxed me and kind of motivated me as well.

“It’s amazing, the amount of people with a similar story. That was the whole point in doing the book as well. So, it’s been an amazing couple of weeks.

“Everyone definitely suffers from something but some fellas are better at getting out of it and understanding it.

“I’m unbelievably proud but it’s weird that it’s had such a massive impact.”

Earls was initially a little embarrassed by the reaction because of the stigma that remains around mental health issues.

“That’s something we’re trying to get rid of, the stigma of speaking about it,” he added.

“People have been so nice and, in a way, I suppose it’s a brave thing to do, to put your story out there and keep being a professional, trying to be a so-called ‘macho man’ rugby player.

“But we’re all human and that’s what Andy (Farrell) and all of us in here are all about as well, the human side of the rugby player.

“So, we’re getting to know each other on a deeper level than any squad I’ve ever been involved with.”

It was difficult for Earls breaking through in a Munster dressing-room built on that culture of old.

“Even the forward in the book written by ROG, he even feels a small bit guilty on how they played on emotion and how it rubbed off on me – and it did, but I knew no different,” reflected the Limerick man.

“A lot of the things I wanted to do and the way I wanted to act,

I couldn’t really do it because that’s not how it was done in

Munster.

“Thankfully, in 2011, lads like Conor Murray, Dave

Kilcoyne, Mike Sherry and Peter O’mahony (inset) started to break through. Things changed a small bit.”

Earls believes the restrictions on Ireland squad interactions over lockdown actually brought the players closer together than ever.

“Obviously Andy is massive about getting to know each other off the field but, during lockdown in 2020 when we were in the squad, we couldn’t go anywhere,” he recalled.

“We were literally locked away for the Autumn Nations Cup and the Six Nations

“We were in each other’s company 24/7, weren’t let go home and that’s how we built that relationship. “Then the trust on the field, and seeing how hard fellas train and what they do in analysis.

“And the style of play we’re playing now, everyone wants to be a part of it, which is great.”