Gloucester show support to Samaritans

Gloucester will donate £5 from every ticket sold for tonight’s game against Sale to the Samaritans as part of their #Bekind campaign.

The club are raising awareness for mental health following the death of Caroline Flack, the television presenter and former girlfriend of Gloucester’s Danny Cipriani.

Fly-half Cipriani will start in tonight’s game, and both teams will wear Samaritans T-shirts in the warm-up. The Gloucester players will also wear armbands containing the words “Be Kind”.

Johan Ackermann, the Gloucester head coach, said that Cipriani was like “a new man” this week after posting an emotional video on Instagram discussing his relationship with Flack and his own personal battles off the field.

“He has been really positive. He has been great around training with his attitude,” Ackermann said. “Sometimes, life brings you back to reality, and I think he has realised the importance of the team, the people and that unity, with people backing each other and talking openly about things that they may have struggled with in the past.”

Ackermann also spoke proudly of Gloucester’s decision to promote the #Bekind campaign. “The biggest thing for me is healthy players, and I am not talking about physically, but mentally. Being able to realise when you go through a tough time, that you do not have to go through it on your own.

“Only later in my playing career did I turn to faith with the Lord and he gave me a lot of peace. I wish I had when I was 21.”

Gloucester have lost their last four matches in all competitions ahead of facing second-placed Sale and will be without teenage sensation Louis Rees-zammit, with the wing missing out due to illness.