Our Mission

Tackle Suicide exists to protect and strengthen the mental health, wellbeing, and lives of current and former rugby and contact-sport athletes. This includes preventing crisis, self-harm, and suicide by strengthening support long before players reach breaking point.

We amplify lived experiences, provide trusted resources and pathways to support, and help people feel seen, connected, hopeful, and able to get and stay well. Through this independent work, we aim to shape broader conversations and improve athlete wellbeing in communities everywhere. 

Our work is built on four integrated elements
Our work is built on four integrated elements
Arrow rightArrow right
01.  A global research programme grounded in lived experience
02.  The Tackle Suicide website - an athlete-centred digital hub for support, education, and connection
03.  Funded access to confidential, professional talking therapy for athletes in need  
04.  A zero-suicide pathway
Together, these create a system that listens to players, learns from their reality, removes barriers to support, enables early intervention, and commits to the long-term ambition of zero suicide within the communities we serve.

Tackle Suicide
Founder and CEO

Paul Pook

Paul Pook is a former professional rugby player and renowned high-performance coach with over 25 years’ experience working across Olympic, World, and European sport.

His career includes Grand Slam success as Ireland’s National Fitness Coach, multiple Olympic gold medals as Athletic Performance Coach to elite cyclists and snowboarders, and authorship of the best-selling book Complete Conditioning for Rugby. Paul’s expertise spans independent performance auditing, including work with the Irish and English Rugby Unions, consultation projects with the Australian Institute of Sport, and global keynote speaking on performance and athlete welfare.

But there are two sides to Paul’s story.

Alongside his professional success, Paul endured a 20-year battle with depression and suicidal thoughts. His experiences were publicly documented by The Guardian and BBC Sport in November 2022, when he was diagnosed with a rugby-related traumatic brain injury and described himself as a “functioning suicidalist.” His story has since been featured in the Irish Sunday Independent and in a December 2025 feature by David Walsh in The Sunday Times.

Paul has also appeared on BBC TV News and BBC Sport as part of the Rugby Against Suicide campaign, using his platform to raise awareness of mental health challenges and suicide risk among current and former players.

Paul’s career journey has at times been interrupted by his mental ill health. Now in a strong and stable place, he is leveraging both his lived experience and professional expertise to lead Tackle Suicide, a global hub for player welfare and research projects focused on improving mental health outcomes and preventing suicide across the rugby community.

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Tackle Suicide CIC Co-Leads

Lauren Vickery
Lauren Vickery is an integrative psychotherapist and suicide prevention advocate. She blends neuroscience, somatic, and evidence-based therapy techniques to help individuals, including professional athletes, heal and thrive. Lauren brings clinical and psychotherapeutic expertise, leads mental health research, and oversees the development of interventions, psycho education, and programmes at Tackle Suicide.
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Fiona Hiscocks
Experienced culture and change practitioner with deep expertise in narrative-based research and identity work. Brings strategic insight to the design of lived experience research and the development of solutions supporting player wellbeing and long-term transition.
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Susie Hines
Following a thirty-year career in the British Army, Lt Col(Retd) RRC is a recognised expert in mental health strategy and suicide prevention. Her work has been pivotal in treating psychological injuries arising from both combat operations and personal hardships. Her lifelong dedication to the field was formally recognised in the 2026 King’s New Year Honours, where she was awarded the Royal Red Cross for exceptional service to military nursing.
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Philip D Groom
Experienced Life Sciences leader and executive coach with a passion for mental health advocacy. Brings board-level expertise, strategic insight, and a commitment to supporting wellbeing in sport and beyond.
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Mike Kingshott
Michael brings over 30 years of experience in the development and project management of large-scale, complex mixed-use projects, guiding them from initial concept through to completion. Having worked with leading organisations across the UK and internationally, he has a proven track record in establishing successful projects, building high-performing teams, and delivering consistent, predictable outcomes.
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Our Advisory Board

Prof. Karen Hind, Honorary Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Health, Lancaster University, UK
Karen Hind is a clinical scientist and health innovation leader with expertise in musculoskeletal health, neuro-trauma, and applied clinical research. She serves as Scientific Advisor to Tackle Suicide CIC, supporting evidence-based approaches to suicide awareness and prevention within the rugby community.
Karen holds a senior leadership role at Medimaps Group, where she leads clinical affairs, research, and innovation for AI-driven technologies used in fracture risk evaluation, focusing on clinical validation, real-world evidence, and the responsible translation of advanced analytics into clinical practice.
She previously led the UK Rugby Health Project, launched in 2016 as the UK’s first large-scale independent study examining the long-term health and wellbeing of retired rugby players. The research generated important evidence on physical, neurological, and psychosocial outcomes following elite and semi-elite rugby careers, informing player welfare initiatives and national policy discussions.
Karen is also a member of the Repercussion Group, contributing scientific expertise on brain health, concussion, and long-term neurological risk in contact sports. She remains committed to improving long-term physical and mental wellbeing outcomes for current and former athletes.
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Dr Claire Gillvray MBChB MRCPsych MRCGP MScSEM LMCA BSLM DCh
Dr Claire Gillvray has been a medical doctor for more than 25 years. She originally trained in Psychiatry and then General Practice and is a member of both Royal Colleges. Her interest in the link between sport and mental health led her to complete a MSc in Sports and Exercise Medicine from Bath Universityin 2010. Her research is into the area of sport addiction and she is on the executive committee of the Sports and Exercise Psychiatry Special Interest Group at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. She has worked within mental health services in the NHS and private settings throughout her career and has gained expertise in treating those with mental ill health secondary to head injuries in sport. She is a certified lifestyle medicine physician and also has a certificate in public mental health. She is co-director of Cambridge Private Doctors and co-founder of Gillvray Health.  She is passionate in making a difference to those within the sport of rugby who are affected by mental ill health and experience suicidal thoughts. 
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Mike McNamee BA MA MA PhD, Professor of Ethics KU Leuven
Mike has lectured and researched for more than 40 years, with a dual background in sport and philosophy and has specialised in applied ethics in these fields, with work largely focusing on the ethics of policy in sport from an anti doping, concussion, and sport competition manipulation. Mike has consulted and/or researched for organisations including the FA, IOC, UCI, UKAD, UK Sport, UNESCO, and World Athletics. He is Chair of WADA’s Ethics Expert Group. In 2022, Mike was invited to Co Chair of the Scientific Committee for the Concussion in Sport Group.
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Jonathan Pearce
Jonathan is a registered social worker and coach, with over 30 years’ experience in a variety of health & social care settings. He is currently employed as a part time suicide prevention & postvention practitioner, while also operating a wellbeing coaching practice (Talk about Solutions), which has enabled him to work with a diverse range of issues, including men who either live with suicidal thoughts and/or have attempted to take their lives. Sport has always been, and still is, a huge part of Jonathan’s life, including previously coaching mini & junior rugby for many years.
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Dr Jonny Bloomfield
Dr Jonny Bloomfield is a performance physiologist and sport science practitioner with extensive experience across elite sport and athlete health. His work has spanned performance diagnostics, athlete monitoring, and long-term welfare in high-performance environments. He now focuses primarily on men’s health, bringing a preventative, education-led perspective to physical and mental well-being. Within the Advisory Board, he provides scientific guidance supporting the initiative’s work around player welfare, brain health, and evidence-informed well-being strategies.
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Steve Philip
Steve Philip is the CEO and Co-Founderof TheJordan Legacy, a UK suicide prevention charity established in memory of his son, Jordan. Through his work, Steve has become a leading voice in suicide awareness, intervention training, and community prevention initiatives.
As an Ambassador, he brings powerful lived experience alongside national safeguarding expertise, supporting the initiative’s mission to prevent suicide and strengthen mental health support across sporting communities.
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Dr Ed Daly
Dr Ed Daly is a researcher at Atlantic Technological University (ATU), specialising in health and performance within high-pressure environments. His work focuses on the physical and mental well-being of athletes and the wider performance population. As a member of the Advisory Board, he brings research-led insight to support the initiative’s work around player welfare, brain health, and evidence-informed well-being strategies.
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Fiona Hiscocks
Experienced culture and change practitioner with deep expertise in narrative-based research and identity work. Brings strategic insight to the design of lived experience research and the development of solutions supporting player wellbeing and long-term transition.
Read more
Susie Hines
Following a thirty-year career in the British Army, Lt Col(Retd) RRC is a recognised expert in mental health strategy and suicide prevention. Her work has been pivotal in treating psychological injuries arising from both combat operations and personal hardships. Her lifelong dedication to the field was formally recognised in the 2026 King’s New Year Honours, where she was awarded the Royal Red Cross for exceptional service to military nursing.
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Meet Our Ambassadors

Global Mental Health Ambassador - Sir John Kirwan
"I know first hand how isolating mental health struggles can be. Tackle Suicide is about making sure players - and people - don’t face those battles alone." 

Sir John Kirwan is a former New Zealand All Black legend, Rugby World Cup winner (1987), and globally recognised mental health advocate. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wings in rugby history, he scored 35 tries in 63 Tests for the All Blacks. Following his playing career, Sir John moved into elite coaching before courageously sharing his personal battle with depression. Knighted for services to mental health, he now leads global initiatives focused on mental fitness, workplace well-being, and suicide prevention, using his platform to normalise conversations around mental health in sport and society.
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Women’s Rugby Ambassador - Rocky Clark MBE
"Creating safer, healthier environments for players is vital for the future of rugby."

‍Rocky Clark MBE is a former England international and one of the most decorated players in women’s rugby history. A Rugby World Cup winner (2014) and multiple Grand Slam champion, Rocky earned over 130 caps for England across a remarkable international career spanning nearly two decades.Known for her resilience, leadership, and longevity in an elite contact sport, she has become a powerful voice for player welfare, women’s health in rugby, and life beyond professional competition.
Awarded an MBE for services to rugby, Rocky now works across media, coaching, mentoring, and advocacy roles, supporting the development and well-being of current and former players.
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Inclusion & Well-being Ambassador - Nigel Owens MBE
"Respect, inclusion, and well-being must sit at the heart of everything we do in sport."

‍Nigel Owens MBE is one of rugby union’s most respected referees, officiating at the very highest level of the international game for over 15 years. He refereed the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final and earned more than 100 Test caps as a match official, widely recognised for his authority, empathy, and communication on the field. Beyond refereeing, Nigel is a prominent mental health and LGBTQ+ advocate, having spoken openly about his own experiences with depression and identity. Awarded an MBE for services to sport, he now works across broadcasting, farming, and public speaking, championing inclusion, well-being, and respect within and beyond rugby.
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Olympic Ambassador - Andrea Minguzzi
"True strength isn’t just physical - it’s mental resilience and the courage to ask for help."

‍Andrea Minguzzi is an Olympic gold medallist and one of Italy’s most celebrated Greco-Roman wrestlers. He won gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, becoming a national sporting icon through his resilience, discipline, and commitment to excellence in one of the world’s most physically demanding sports. Having trained and been coached within elite high-performance environments - including working with Paul Pook, Andrea understands first-hand the psychological and physical demands placed on Olympic athletes. As an Olympic Ambassador, he brings an international perspective on athlete well-being, transition, and mental resilience beyond competition.
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Paralympic Ambassador - Mark Rohan
“Adversity can redefine us - with the right support, sport can be a pathway back to purpose.”

‍Mark Rohan is an Irish Paralympic cyclist and double gold medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where he won Time Trial and Road Race titles in the H1 handcycling category. His journey to Paralympic success followed a life-changing spinal cord injury sustained in a motorcycle accident, after which he transitioned into elite para-sport. Having trained and been coached within high-performance systems, including working with Paul Pook, Mark understands the psychological resilience required to rebuild identity, purpose, and performance following trauma. As a Paralympic Ambassador, he brings powerful insight into adversity, recovery, and the role sport can play in mental well-being and post-injury transition.
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Professional & Amateur Rugby Player & Coach Ambassadors

Chris Cracknell
Chris Cracknell is a former England 7s international and coach, and an Olympic gold-medal winning assistant coach with Fiji 7s at Rio 2016. With experience across international rugby unions, professional sport and business, Chris now works as a high-performance consultant, supporting organisations to create aligned cultures, clear standards and sustainable performance environments.
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Non Evans MBE
Non Evans MBE is a former Wales international rugby captain and one of the country’s most versatile female athletes. She represented Wales across multiple sports, including rugby union, netball, and javelin and captained the national rugby side during her distinguished international career. Awarded an MBE for services to sport, Non has remained deeply involved in athlete development, governance, and player welfare initiatives since retiring from elite competition, alongside her work as an outstanding personal trainer. As an Ambassador, she brings a powerful voice for women’s sport, athlete transition, and the importance of holistic well-being across and beyond rugby.
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Andy Dawling
Andy Dawling is a former British Army serviceman and professional rugby player who understands the demands of both military and elite sporting environments. His dual career has shaped a strong perspective on resilience, identity, and transition. As an Ambassador, he supports mental health awareness and player welfare, bringing lived experience from service and sport to strengthen the initiative’s work.
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David Llewellyn
David Llewellyn is a former Wales international rugby player who represented his country with distinction during the amateur era of the game. Part of a proud Welsh rugby tradition, he understands the physical and cultural demands placed on players at the highest level. As an Ambassador, he supports the initiative’s work around player welfare, mental health awareness, and the importance of looking after athletes beyond their playing careers.
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