Hundreds of LooseHeadz Mental Health Leads
Some five years ago three friends from Wilmslow RFC decided they needed to do something to help rugby players like ones they’d played alongside who were struggling with their mental health.
Dave Nicoll, one of the three founders of LooseHeadz, said: “We knew it was time to do more than just listen and buy them a pint, so we started selling T-shirts and fundraising. Very quickly it expanded beyond the club, then beyond the local area clubs, until at last count we were involved with over 630 clubs where we have achieved Loosehead mental health leads.”
Working with the Mental Health Foundation, LooseHeadz’ impressive work now sees the RFU referring clubs who need help and advice on mental wellbeing to them, with countless rugby club members being helped and supported.
LooseHeadz has created a bespoke toolkit of resources for rugby clubs which includes an online training platform leading to CPD qualification, a wellbeing check-in platform, and a 24-7 text line, where people who text ‘RUGBY’ to 85258 can talk to a trained operator within 15 minutes to help and support their mental health. A new ‘Talk Headz initiative’ sees them working with partner charity Talk Club to get men to talk openly about their mental health in a safe environment.
They are also launching a youth mental health platform in 2023, prompted by feedback from rugby clubs like Chester and Sidmouth who were seeking help for their 10-18 age group.
The RFU has been glad to direct member clubs to LooseHeadz, having seen the impact they are having on mental wellbeing and knowing that their toolkit has been created with Mental Health Foundation support.
Dave said: ”The most satisfaction that the three of us who founded Looseheadz have had is the positive impact it has created, with people getting in touch to tell us about their rugby journey and how LooseHeadz has got them back into the sport and helped their mental wellbeing. We all had friends, family and teammates who had suffered in the same way and, having had rugby help with our own mental health, we wanted to spread that message.”
The ultimate goal for LooseHeadz now is having a ‘Loosehead’ mental health lead in every rugby club.
“We know that’s an ambitious target,” said Dave. “However, having that role in a club really makes a difference. The biggest thing is having someone who is passionate about it, someone who gets and understands the rugby club environment and is equally passionate about rugby and mental health.
“The help we offer is designed for everyone in a rugby club, men and women players, coaches, and members from youngsters to walking rugby.”
While seeking corporate sponsorship, LooseHeadz is still funded by sales of their clothing range, which creates interest and prompts discussion around mental health and fundraising events such as their charity match last month (December) at Shaftesbury Pak, Bristol, which involved Matt Banahan and Dave Ward among others.
