Plan for future or risk mental health problems
PLAYERS must “wake up” and do more to avoid the mental health trap ensnaring so many retired professionals, says Harlequins lock Matt Symons.
Shocking figures released by the Rugby Players’ Association revealed that 62 per cent of retired players had suffered mental health issues since leaving the game.
In addition, 52 per cent did not feel in control of their lives two years after they retired, while half had encountered financial difficulty in the first five years and 46 per cent were unhappy with their preparation for life after sport.
While the RPA offer a range of post-rugby career development opportunities, Symons claims too few players are willing to accept responsibility for exploring those options ahead of retirement.
Symons, a passionate advocate for athlete welfare in all sports, told The Rugby
Paper: “Those figures are not surprising – and they’re just the guys who’ve spoken about it.
“Transition out of sport is incredibly tough – not just rugby players – because you strive to make a success of your career, as most people do. But unlike people in banking or whatever, you hit your mid-thirties and then start at the bottom.
“Unless you’ve planned for it, you lose your identity. There are also financial and family implications and it’s a really hard place to be. But while the RPA do a fantastic job, players have to look at themselves and do more to prepare.
“There are personal development managers within each club but we need to wake up a bit and realise what’s coming. Players need to be much more proactive in going after opportunities because there are numerous options out there.
“Every club has lots of sponsors who would just love for us to come in on a day off or do an immersion day in their business. However, players must do more to create opportunities – it’s something I’m outspoken on, and will continue to be.”
Symons, 29, feels better prepared than most having recently acted as a keynote speaker for financial services giants Ernst & Young.
He said: “I do a couple of things outside rugby as part of my personal development programme, helping athletes with their off-field development.
“I’m fortunate because I went to university, then travelled and worked in New Zealand before going into professional rugby relatively late over there, at 24. But a lot of academy players are very sheltered and the fall-out rate is high.”
Symons believes more could be done by rugby’s authorities to aid player development.
While Premiership players are guaranteed five weeks off each summer, Symons believes this is insufficient and cites NFL’s system in America as an example of what a fierce contact sport like rugby should be striving towards.
He added: “Guys are playing too much rugby – and I don’t just mean actual matches, but training, holding tackles bags, analysis or whatever.
“Guys are exhausted after nine or ten months – physically and mentally – but if you look at the NFL model, guys get significant time off in the summer where they are able to do internships.
“They can mentally refresh and bolster their CVs at the same time, but for our guys who get just five weeks off, they’re drained and need those five weeks just to get their batteries up – then it’s back to full training again. That’s not sustainable in the long-term.”