Batley Bulldogs’ head coach Craig Lingard aiming to ‘break down the stigma of speaking up about mental health’

Lingard has been working part-time with the independent charity - which has a strong focus on player welfare within rugby league - since January and his role has seen him deliver valuable sessions - including the Ahead of the Game programme - to secondary schools and local community clubs within Kirklees to raise awareness around mental health.

And now, with the World Cup getting underway this weekend, Lingard, along with Keith Senior and other former players, in association with Movember, are delivering talks to international squads to “break the stigma about asking for help”.

Lingard said: “It’s about spreading the word about the good work we’re doing on behalf of Movember and giving help, advice and tips to the players whilst they’re in camp.

“We’re delivering to all the men’s, women’s and wheelchair teams, womens, as well as over 2,000 volunteers who are helping with the World Cup. We are then delivering to volunteers for the World Gymnastics Championships next month.

“We have already connected with over 6,000 children across the North of England with the Ahead of the Game programme and that is going to be rolled out across the UK so that every kid, primarily in Year nine, will be offered it.

“It is about prevention and awareness rather then letting it get to the point where people are getting into adulthood and suffer with their mental health - and the endgame of that is self-harm and suicide, which is something we want to try and reduce as much as we possibly can.

“We have now been going into the World Cup camps because the players will be away from their normal support network of their family and friends from back home.

“They are in camp 24/7 so it is about not developing any negative habits like over eating and drinking and too much screen time.

“It’s about giving messages about how they can become closer as a team and break that stigma about asking for help or asking somebody if they are ok.

“They are going to be a little bit lonely at times. It sounds great when you are in camp away from home for three to four weeks, but some people do struggle with that and it’s about sitting and listening to someone if that’s what that person needs - whether that’s going for a walk or having a coffee together.

“People just need to know that they have got people there to support them.”

Lingard, who led the Bulldogs to within 80 minutes of a place in Super League, is also hoping to see a lot of players “sporting moustaches” at the World Cup.

He said: “People think we are tough sportsmen or that we’re tough on the players and that we don’t struggle with our mental health. But we do. A lot of successful people struggle with their mental health.

“It is about recognising if you are struggling then there is help out there and you can get back fit and healthy again and still achieve and succeed.

“We’re also hoping to get more people sporting moustaches in the World Cup and spreading the word. When they are on the TV, people will notice and it will get that awareness out there.”