Rugby tackling mental health

With one in four people reporting a mental health problem each year and 75 per cent of adult mental illness materialising before the age of 24, higher education institutions must see student mental health as a strategic priority.

Higher living costs, course fees and a saturated job market mean that students face considerable pressures while at university.

Institutional improvements are encouraged by Universities UK through the #stepchange campaign, a move to have student mental health discussed as a strategic priority for higher education organisations.

However, sometimes the best support can come directly from students themselves. After the loss of his father just days after his first examination at City, Ed Armitage (LLB Law) and captain of the City Men’s Rugby team, came close to ending his education when it was just getting started.

“My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was given three to six months to live. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one month and he died a couple of days after my first exam.

“Up until that moment, I spent most of my first year travelling back and forth between London and Hertfordshire. Every three weeks or so, during my Dad’s chemotherapy session, I would go home on Tuesday to drive him to the hospital for a check-up before driving back to London on Wednesday and playing a rugby game.

“I did not really tell anyone or address things at the time, I just bottled it all up.”

Breaking stereotypes of toughening up, Ed realised he could not cope on his own and turned to his family and rugby teammates.

“You hear all these things about having to toughen up or man up but in reality that gets you nowhere. I turned to my teammates and friends for help as you cannot deal with these things alone.”

Now an advocate for mental health, Ed has set up buddy systems in the City Men’s Rugby team where vice-captains look out for newer or younger members of the team, never leaving them to deal with the pressures of university alone.

Ed’s rugby committee goes further to ensure all students feel included by supporting regular initiatives such as wearing rainbow laces to show support for LGBT+ people in sport and taking part in the Odd Socks campaign for anti-bullying week.

“I feel because rugby is considered a manly sport, I think this is a good place to start with mental health.”

To mark University Mental Health Day, the rugby team filmed a video to encourage students to seek help if they are experiencing mental health issues at university.

“If other students see that the rugby team or the rugby captain, vice-captain and committee are addressing mental health, then it may encourage other young men or students to address those issues as well.

“We have a culture in the team that allows anyone to come forward and ask for help. No one is turned away, no one is laughed at and no one is left behind.”

Looking forward, Ed will temporarily swap rugby kit for graduation gown as he has been selected as one of the student speakers for City’s July graduation ceremonies, marking the end of his three year journey at City and the exciting start of a new one.