Rugby Minds: University of Nottingham hosts mental health event for students
Earlier this month, the University of Nottingham’s Rugby Minds programme held its inaugural ‘In Conversation with Rugby Minds’ event, bringing together students, athletes, and advocates to discuss mental health in the rugby community.
Rugby Minds is a student-led campaign at the University that addresses challenges players may face during their university rugby experience. It brings together players from the men’s and women’s teams, touch rugby, and rugby league to encourage open conversations and improve well-being within the sport.
Hosted by former University of Nottingham student Natasha Duggan and led by the Rugby Minds Student Ambassador, Rosie Boardman, the event featured a panel of speakers, including Hannah Stallard, a rugby advocate with LooseHeadz; Kieran Kelly, Director of The OddBalls Foundation; and Leah Burke, an England Rugby League player currently navigating injury recovery.
The discussion explored key issues such as the emotional toll of injuries, strategies for mental resilience, the social pressures players face, and the stigma surrounding mental health in rugby. Attendees included players, coaches, and fans alike.
George Dale, Club Development Officer, said: “Our three speakers were all really different and offered different perspectives on each topic. It was fascinating to see how differently each individual saw each of the topics and meant that everyone there resonated with something each of the speakers offered.”
Feedback after the event concluded that all attendees felt the event increased their understanding of the mental health challenges of rugby players and that the session provided practical strategies for open communication about mental health.
And while the initiative is currently in its fourth year, Rugby Minds continues to grow and those behind it have no plans to slow down.
Dale added: “Everyone who works on this project is so passionate about it, and we believe it has real potential to do good in the rugby community.
“We want to do more work to see how we can reach a wider audience with this work. We think that rugby can be a vehicle to educate and support and we’re really excited about where the programme has the potential to go.”
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