ONE of Scotland’s leading amateur rugby clubs has entered a new charity partnership to shine a light on men’s mental health.
Glasgow High Kelvinside is working with See Me, Scotland’s national programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination.
To mark the new partnership, GHK star player Danny Campbell has opened up for the first time about his anxiety. The 31-year-old full-back believes rugby has been vital for maintaining mental health.
Campbell, who has built a successful architecture business Hoko while playing amateur rugby and raising three young children, said the sport offers more than just physical health benefits.
He has praised his GHK team-mates and colleagues for creating a progressive sporting environment when it comes to being able to open up about worries and anxiety.
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Campbell has backed calls for more openness and less stigma around discussing men’s mental health. He said: “My mental health has been a bit of a journey for me, all through high school I was a bit of an anxious person, without any logic to it, which is probably the basis for all anxiety.
“Rugby, for me, is a pure release where I can express myself and don’t think about anything else.No matter how demanding things have been of my time, I’ve always gone to rugby training twice a week and played on a Saturday. It’s one of the things I don’t compromise on, and that’s really been the backbone of my sanity for a long time.”
Despite rugby’s image as a tough, physical game, Campbell said it’s becoming more and more about looking after each other through emotional challenges as much as sporting ones. “The team has been a great support network for me, not just the other players, but the coaches as well. In my younger years I would go into the older guys and talk about work stress and times when I was anxious. Nowadays I’m more of a senior player, and try to be more proactive and speak to the younger guys myself. “
Toni Groundwater, See Me programme manager for communities and priority groups, said: “Through GHK and with the wider rugby community we aim to make real changes that can stop people struggling alone. Role models like Danny are key to this, to share their story and show anyone can struggle.”
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