Ex-Rugby League star to tell conference of battles with depression

A FORMER Rugby League professional will speak of his battle with depression and suicidal thoughts at a major NHS conference.

Danny Sculthorpe, who captained England and played for Wigan, Castleford, Huddersfield and Bradford, will be keynote speaker at the Health and Care Innovation Expo 2018. The health conference is the biggest event in the NHS calendar and will be held in Manchester on September 5 and 6.

Since his career ended Mr Sculthorpe became an ambassador for the mental health sports charity State of Mind.

He has spoken frankly about his mental health problems at sports clubs, schools and workplaces and also qualified as a counsellor.

Mr Sculthorpe will speak at the conference after a rugby clubs were all required to employ fulltime Player Welfare Managers (PWMs) who help players with issues like mental health and addiction. Research by the University of Huddersfield has found that many PWMs at the 12 Super League clubs are working 60 hours a week, and that more contented players are likely to perform well on the field.

The Rugby Football League’s Player Welfare Policy also says players must “develop mental resilience and understand mental health and addiction”.

Dr Kiara Lewis, of the university’s School of Human and Health Sciences, said: “We are taking very young men who often come from deprived backgrounds and we are throwing them into this world where they can be very successful for a short amount of time.

“They might have had a long and successful career, but they are still going to be at a working age when they leave.”