Leicester prop opens up on social media about his depression

Leicester Tigers prop Greg Bateman took to social media recently to share a personal message about his struggles with depression over the past two years. 

The 30-year-old described how he was at the end of his medication after “wrestling with my mental health, anxiety and particularly around struggling to sleep and pretty dark moods (depression)” over the past 18 to 24 months. 

Bateman was commendably very candid in the post, giving a vivid insight into what he was going through and openly shared his experiences. 

He said: “At my worst, I found myself finding tasks needing to use up my anxious energy – like painting my garden fence at 4am and planning, reading books, listening to podcasts, writing lists, etc. Then, take more sleepers, another drink or anything so I wasn’t staring at my bedroom ceiling in the dark.”

However, he also said that he hopes if “this helps just one person if they feel like they’re struggling”, it would be “worthwhile”. 

Bateman’s openness should further help break down the barrier of what is a fairly taboo subject in sport. Mental health is often not addressed in the rugby world but has been discussed more and more in recent years. 

In fact, some feel that mental health should be treated and approached in the same way that physical injuries are treated in rugby. However, there are still a lot of players that remain silent on such issues. 

England prop Joe Marler was another player over the past year to come out and talk about the pressures of professional rugby, particularly international rugby, and the mental strain that he was put under. Marler himself showed his support for Batemen on Twitter, as he is surely someone that can empathise. 

Alongside Marler, former players Ugo Monye and Christian Day also showed their support on Twitter. Day is the player liaison officer for the Rugby Players’ Association, so the welfare of players is a priority of his. He said that Bateman’s transparency “will no doubt help many others to understand their challenges”.

One thing the rugby world prides itself on is its inclusivity and supportive nature - and that can be seen by the reaction on social media to Bateman’s post. 

The player himself even noted that he has not said much about this, but it is something that can have a massive impact in the rugby and sporting world. 

WATCH: Part one of The Academy, the six-part RugbyPass documentary series on how Leicester Tigers develop their young players