Australian footballer Israel Folau has had a spectacular career in three different codes, but now he’s the public face of a revival tour in which he talks about how his faith brought him peace when he couldn’t cope with the pressure of success.
He and fellow player Manu Vatuvei are the faces on the posters for the Road to Redemption tour, which ends in Auckland on Thursday night.
Born to Tongan parents in New South Wales, Folau played rugby league for the Melbourne Storm in the Australia National Rugby League from 2007 to 2008 and for the Brisbane Broncos from 2009 to 2010.
He also played for the Australian rugby league team and Queensland in State Origin matches. In 2011 he joined the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL). In December 2012, he joined the rugby union team the Waratahs.
But like many young players Folau could not cope with the pressures of success and began to suffer from depression.
He drank heavily, womanised, and in the end there was only so much support his family and friends could give him.
When things were at their worst he turned to God and found the peace he needed.
“No one else could help me,” Folau told Auckland journalist Matt Manukia,
Joining Folau on the revival tour is Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei, who has also spoken publicly about his mental health problems,
While not every player with problems has followed Folau’s path, depression and mental illness continue to affect a significant number of young rugby players on both sides of the Ditch.
Some have committed suicide, others have seen their careers collapse and their personal lives spiral out of control.
In 2013 NRL players Mosese Fotuaika and Alex Elisala took their own lives and four more players have followed suit since then.
Some may have had a genetic disposition to depression. Others were coping with the aftermaths of traumatic childhoods. Others could not cope with the pressures of a highly charged, full-on macho culture where careers brought money and other opportunities to players too young to cope.
Welfare and education manager at the Warriors, Jerry Seuseu, told Fairfax Media earlier this year that 16 of the team’s 100 players suffered from depression.
Former Warriors player Kevin Locke was supported through bouts of depression and suicide attempts by the team. He was provided with regular psychiatric counselling and was on anti-depressants for most of his career.
His career eventually collapsed after he left the Warriors and made a short-lived and ill-fated attempt at a career in the UK.
Other prominent rugby players to battle with depression have included Paul Whatuira, who won two NRL premierships and represented New Zealand. Eventually his condition became so serious that he was sectioned in a British hospital for a month.
The problem is international.
Former Scottish international Rory Lamont told the UK Sunday Times earlier this year that players found it almost impossible to admit to feeling vulnerable.
“Rugby is great at masking insecurities,” Lamont told The Sunday Times.
“You get this bullet-proof vest: you’re part of a team, everyone’s telling you you’re great. But it’s just a comfort blanket.”
And Irish footballer Alan Quinlan told the Independent: “There’s a bit of a stigma attached to men going to the doctor and asking for a bit of help or even opening up to friends and family members. It’s not the done thing in Ireland. But if you have a toothache you go to the dentist. Yet if you’re feeling low down people here tend not to talk about it. I was, ‘well, I can solve all my own problems and look after myself’. That’s not the way to do it. You have to reach out and ask for some help.”
Israel Folau and the Road to Redemption Revival Tour will appear in Wellington tonight (December 19), New Plymouth on December 20 and Auckland on December 22.
Where to get help in New Zealand
Lifeline – 0800 543 354
Healthline – 0800 611 116
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
Depression Helpline 0800 111 757 or https://depression.org.nz/
Suicide Crisis Helpline (aimed at those in distress, or those who are concerned about the wellbeing of someone else) – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
The main points
- Australian footballer Israel Folau has had a spectacular career in three different codes, but now he’s the public face of a revival tour in which he talks about how his faith brought him peace when he couldn’t cope with the pressure of success.
- He and fellow player Manu Vatuvei are the faces on the posters for the Road to Redemption tour, which ends in Auckland on Thursday night.
- Welfare and education manager at the Warriors, Jerry Seuseu, told Fairfax Media earlier this year that 16 of the team’s 100 players suffered from depression.
- And the problem is global, with former Scottish international Rory Lamont saying earlier this year that players found it almost impossible to admit to feeling vulnerable.
For more information
Spare a thought for rugby’s vulnerable gladiators wrestling with their demons
How rugby league player Kevin Locke beat depression
Rugby league star now mental illness mentor for young players
Full interview: ‘No one else could help me’: Israel Folau and Manu Vatuvei reveal off-field battles on NZ tour to tackle depression
