Bravery starts here: Why mental health matters to PREM Rugby

Laylla Stanley, Strategic Lead – Social Impact at PREM Rugby

As we refresh our brand to centre on high-energy, high-impact moments, we also set our commitment to use rugby as a tool to help people be their brave and bold selves. Because rugby isn’t just a sport – it’s a community – and just as physical health is essential on the pitch, mental wellbeing is essential in everyday life. That’s why we’ve made mental health a priority.

We’re proud to welcome Mental Health UK as our first official charity partner to support us as we bring our ambition to life. 

Why mental health matters in rugby

Elite athletes face immense expectations: to perform, recover, and continually improve; the mental strain can be significant. Beyond the elite game, the rugby community – our fans, grassroots players, and networks – also experience challenges such as stress, loneliness, and isolation.

Rugby has a unique role to play. Our joint research with Mental Health UK shows that rugby fans are more likely than the general public to say that watching sport helps them feel connected to others, while nearly one in four UK adults would like to be more active to support their mental wellbeing. These insights highlight that rugby’s platform can be a powerful driver of awareness, connection, and support.

How the partnership will help

Our partnership has been born to change perceptions of what it means to be brave. For some, bravery might mean playing 80 minutes of a full-contact sport in front of a packed stadium. For others, it might mean simply getting out of bed in the morning – an act of courage that can be just as significant when our mental health takes a dip.

Together with Mental Health UK, we will give people the support, connections and tools they need to be their brave and bold selves through four focus areas:

• Celebrating resilience by showing that bravery is as much about vulnerability as it is about strength.
• Highlighting rugby’s power to create connections, combat loneliness, and build a sense of belonging.
• Emphasising the strong link between physical health and mental wellbeing.
• Tackling isolation by bringing people together through a shared love of the game. 

Our partnership will be brought to life across our clubs, foundations, and national platforms, ensuring that fans and communities can access resources, conversations, and support. By collaborating on resilience programmes, fundraising, and awareness campaigns, we aim to inspire long-term cultural change.

How we chose Mental Health UK

Selecting the right charity was a rigorous process, starting with an insight-gathering exercise to aid our understanding of what works and what doesn’t in this space. We then launched our request for proposal which saw:

• 150+ expressions of interest
• 112 applications submitted.
• Almost half of PREM Rugby staff supporting initial assessments.
• A decision-making panel, including representatives from our key stakeholders, assessing the final five charities who were invited to pitch.

Mental Health UK stood out not only for their expertise, but also for their collaborative approach which aligned with our diverse range of audiences and stakeholders.

Our audience insights showed us that mental health and wellbeing consistently ranked among the top five causes donated to by PREM Rugby fans, as well as avid sports fans, and young people – audiences we are keen to connect with in meaningful ways to ensure our sport is welcoming to the next generation of supporters. 

In addition, this partnership will drive heaps of added value across our diverse stakeholder groups:

• Internally, the partnership strengthens our wider social impact strategy, particularly within our Diversity & Inclusion pillar.
• For Clubs and Foundations, Mental Health UK’s services align with the needs of both the elite and community game, benefiting fans, players, staff and beneficiaries.
• For commercial partners, the cause offers opportunities to engage employees in fundraising, volunteering, and wellbeing initiatives that matter.

The partnership, therefore, is not only about addressing a critical issue but also about building connections and value across every part of the PREM Rugby family.

Bringing our partnership to life

Our Bravery Starts Here campaign will come to life through World Mental Health Day (10 October) and Round 3 of the Gallagher PREM (10–12 October).

Clubs will activate the campaign locally, making mental health visible across matchday. Fans can expect:

• Fundraising at stadiums to support vital services
• Engagement activities in fan villages to spark conversations
• PREM Rugby and Mental Health UK teams on-site to share the partnership’s purpose
• Powerful visual content across stadiums and digital platforms to amplify the message

This campaign marks the beginning of our long-term ambition to embed mental wellbeing into the fabric of rugby. Because bravery isn’t just about physical strength – it’s about speaking up, connecting, and supporting one another.

NextGen alumna Laylla will be speaking about the partnership at Sport Industry Group’s Highlighting World Mental Health Day event on 9th October.

👉 Register your interest in attending: events@sportindustry.biz