Rugby’s mental health crisis is getting worse
New Reach Managing Director, Nick Rewcastle, formerly worked in professional rugby before founding the agency. In the wake of rugby’s ongoing mental health emergency, Nick has penned his thoughts.
Sport is in a crisis, and I’m not entirely sure it recognises it.
Why? Because this crisis has been in existence for years.
One of the worst-hit sports is rugby. It’s in a mental health crisis, and it’s sadly no surprise. In the wake of the financial disaster the sport has experienced, the emerging ongoing challenges people are faced with around head injuries, busy playing schedules, social media and elite sporting pressures, it’s a tough time to be involved in the game.
England captain Owen Farrell has bravely taken the decision to step-aside for the time being from playing international rugby, and subsequently choosing to miss the 2024 Six Nations. If the team’s captain is in a position where he has no choice but to do so, how can more not follow? A sentiment shared by Bristol and England prop Kyle Sinckler who believes that more players will follow in Farrell’s footsteps in an attempt to protect their mental health.
But is the state of the game the sole reason for players, past and present, needing to manage their mental health? Absolutely not.
This abhorrent abuse on social media needs to stop. We need more regulation online. Farrell cited the abuse online as a core factor in his decision, alongside media coverage. Even the treatment towards referees online has forced the likes of Wayne Barnes and fellow colleagues out of the game. It’s not worth the abuse and threats – nothing is.
Unfortunately, sport is hard, and being a sportsperson is hard. So, more support is needed. And whilst the game is getting there, it’s not where it needs to be.
We’ve been working with the wonderful Restart, the official charity of the Rugby Players Association, and the work they do is phenomenal in providing mental health support to players, past and present. But they can’t do it alone, more work is needed from the unions and clubs to look after players. And more funding!
More players need to be advocating for mental health, like we have seen with Farrell, Sinckler and the likes of James Haskell and Joe Marler over the years. Mental health need not be taboo anymore in rugby, or sport as a whole.
In the last couple of years, four teams have vanished from the top two flights of domestic rugby in England. Over 200 players have had their worlds turned upside down with devastating diagnoses of brain injuries as a result of playing the game they love.
Rugby is in an existential crisis which has been building for over a decade now. Support those trying to help the ones that need it the most. Come on rugby, protect your people.
Share via:
Team of the Week - 18.07.25
Team of the Week - 11.07.25
Team of the Week - 04.07.25
Are we finally starting to see Starmer’s plans for sport?
Team of the Week - 27.06.25
Behind the Bowls: The PR Push That Delivered 24,000 New Players
JJ Spaun and Bath Rugby both secured huge wins this week. For Bath, it was a win on and off the pitch, announcing a three-year contract extension for Finn Russell. Mimi Rhodes continues her heroic debut season on the Women’s PGA Tour, and Mondo Duplantis is doing what only Mondo Duplantis can.
9 April marks four years of New Reach. It’s been a remarkable journey so far, with much more to come. Our MD and Founder, Nick Rewcastle, reflects on the milestone. If you said to me four years ago, that I would be writing this post, I may not have believed you. When we set out, we had a clear mission; to make a difference in the development of sports, talent, and communities through ethical, impactful, and strategic communications. We promised to never compromise trust, morals or rules to profit. I can proudly say that we’ve stuck by our principles and delivered some amazing results along the way. What began as a small idea has grown into a team of dedicated PR, social media and video professionals, united by a shared set of values. We’ve had the honour of collaborating with a diverse range of clients, playing a role in telling the stories that matter the most. There’s too many highlights and amazing projects to name them all, and we don’t want to miss anyone out. Just looking at some of the sports we have worked with, the variety is incredible; football, rugby, cricket, squash, bowls, climbing, rowing, table tennis, triathlon, running, basketball, gymnastics, sailing and even chess. The past two years has seen us really drive growth across our digital offerings, growing our expertise across social media management and video, aligned with our ongoing PR work. None of this would be possible without the incredible people I get to work with. Our team is small but mighty, and every single person brings passion, skill, and care to the table. Together, we've built something that feels authentic — something I’m genuinely proud of. As we celebrate this milestone, we also look forward to the next four years. We remain committed to our mission and are extremely excited about the future. We want to further grow the team, work with new clients, experiencing new sports and sectors. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our clients, partners, and the communities we've worked with over the past four years. Your trust and collaboration have been vital to our journey. Here's to continued growth, meaningful impact, and many more milestones ahead.
Motiv Sports UK has renewed its agreement with New Reach for a third year.
Will Lloyd, Communications Executive One of the more valuable traits in social media management is adaptability. Rarely does everything work out exactly according to plan, so the ability to step back and consider why your plan didn't work, adjusting accordingly, is often the difference between a successful campaign that resonates with your audience and one that goes largely unnoticed. When creating content plans for a new client or platform, we are often making an informed guess, whilst trying to demonstrate what we can do ‘in theory’. You’ve done the research and crafted a strategy that seems promising, but until the posts go live, there’s no guarantee of how things will play out. This is when we start to look at tweaking posting times, being more graphic/video/image led or even scrapping certain aspects completely. That’s because social media doesn’t work the same way for any two accounts, and what performs well for one client or audience might struggle elsewhere. While it’s frustrating, this is what makes us good at our job - the ability to adapt to the needs of the account. Social media rewards those who can step back, assess what isn’t working, and try something new. It can feel messy and unpredictable at times, but like any creative industry, trial and error is how you uncover what really works. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks’ original project struggled horribly before they *adapted* and joined Fleetwood Mac; now look at them - or at least their music… It’s worth remembering that content plans aren’t set in stone. They’re a starting point and a vague concept, not a rigid programme. It might feel wrong to abandon a plan that you worked hard to come up with, but the best results often come when you allow yourself to be more creative and impulsive with your content. If a series doesn’t gain the engagement you hoped for, you haven’t wasted your time. Treat them as experiments, and each time one doesn’t work, check it off the list and move on to the next idea. Eventually, you will find the trends and nuances that get people engaged - put yourself in the shoes of your audience, what would you like to see in your feed? It’s all part of the process, and more often than not, your ability to adapt will be rewarded. Clients and audiences will appreciate content that feels fresh, creative and tailored to them.