This presentation will explore how sport—particularly community rugby league—can be a powerful vehicle for transforming men’s mental health, redefining masculinity, and fostering connection in regional communities. Drawing on real-world experience from The Amend Project, this session will unpack the outcomes of our Wellbeing Rounds, which have been rolled out across sporting clubs in Central West NSW.
Men in rural and regional areas face disproportionate mental health challenges, with suicide rates significantly higher than in metropolitan areas. In parts of Central West NSW, the suicide rate is more than double the national average, and many communities fall within the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas of the state. This disadvantage is not just economic—it’s deeply social and emotional, too.
Through a blend of education, lived experience storytelling, and grassroots engagement, The Amend Project works with local sporting clubs to shift the culture of silence that too often surrounds men’s mental health. Our Wellbeing Rounds are a community-led initiative where players wear custom-designed mental health jerseys and engage in open, honest conversations about mental wellbeing, respectful relationships, and connection. What started with footy socks as a symbol of awareness has evolved into fully integrated match-day events involving players, families, and entire communities.
This session will share what we’ve learned from these rounds—both anecdotally and through feedback from players, coaches, and supporters. Key themes include:
- How team belonging and peer connection can act as protective factors.
- Redefining masculinity by encouraging emotional literacy, vulnerability, and support-seeking.
- The role of clubs as informal mental health hubs in rural towns.
- The power of visibility and leadership in normalising help-seeking behaviours.
Attendees will gain insight into how sporting clubs—when supported and equipped—can become catalysts for cultural change. We’ll highlight how small, consistent actions embedded in club life can create safer, more connected spaces for men and boys.
Ultimately, this presentation is a call to action. Our clubs are more than places to play sport—they’re community anchors. And when they lead the way in mental health, they help build something far bigger than a scoreboard: a culture of care and support for our boys and men who will follow in or foot steps.