Talking is vital for good mental health

SHANE Williams has rightly earned his place in Welsh rugby history, with a stellar career on the field for club and country.

But for many sportsmen and sportswomen at the top of their game, it can be tough once their careers come to an inevitable end.

And rugby careers, with a few exceptions, are shorter than most, particularly in the current, physically demanding game.

So we applaud Shane for speaking out with disarming honesty about the challenges he faced when the glare of the floodlights went out.

Gone was the roar of the crowds, the routine of training and the camaraderie of team-mates with whom he arguably spent as much time over the years as with his family.

Shane admits that quitting the game and the prospect of what he would do next after a lifetime dedicated to rugby left him “petrified”.

He experienced loneliness and self-doubt, he said, questioning his own relevance in life after the game he dedicated everything to was gone.

He said: “There were players in that team who I had played with for 10 years, lads who knew me better than I knew myself. All of a sudden, they are gone.”

But thanks to the support of his wife Gail and family, coupled with his profile and knowledge of the game, Shane has enjoyed a successful post-rugby career as a TV pundit as well as several business ventures.

But not all bounce back. Shane also describes how some friends and acquaintances have sadly not got past their problems.

That’s why he’s the latest highprofile figure to stress the importance of talking to someone during this Mental Health Awareness Week.

Everyone has problems at some point, many more since the challenges of the Covid pandemic. Ways through problems can be found with the right support.

As Shane says: “I have had times I have really struggled. The world is a scary place, no matter who you are, we all get frightened of things and anxious of things.

“It is something that affects us all and the important thing I have found when I have been down is just speaking to someone.”

We also feature the story of our own reporter Joseph Ali, who writes candidly about his diagnosis of Acute Panic Disorder.

Echoing what Shane said, Joe writes: “Don’t be ashamed of the demons that you may be battling with – they’re in everyone.”