Owen Farrell will not play in the Six Nations after retiring from international rugby to protect himself and his family. Photo: Getty Images/Alex Davidson
What do Simone Biles, Adam Peaty and now Owen Farrell have in common? All of these athletes took a break from their international careers to address their mental health.
Unfortunately, each of their statements led to accusations that they were quitters or lacked mental toughness. In some cases, people went even further, questioning the veracity of the decision. Such criticism invariably comes from talk show commentators and anonymous social media users, none of whom have ever competed in elite sports.
These world-class athletes have proven throughout their careers that they have an innate the desire and psychological resilience to reach the top of your sport. Not only have they consistently demonstrated these qualities to reach the top, but they have maintained them throughout the years while competing in international competitions. The willpower to do this is incredible, and not many people can do it.
To accuse them of lack of mental strength is either a deliberate provocation designed to enhance the critic's own fame, or simple ignorance, stupidity or deceit, or perhaps all three. Anyone who knows Owen Farrell and his family background knows that he is fiercely, sometimes too fiercely, competitive.
I'm told Farrell's decision is due to the backlash and abuse he began to receive and which continued following his red card for an illegal tackle on Wales player Taine Basham in August last year. It is important to make a distinction in this incident. Responsibility for the subsequent ban lay solely with Farrell. It was his mistake, and it did not matter whether his action was intentional or accidental. Criticizing him for this act and for attracting sanctions is a matter of fair comment, and Farrell himself was honest enough to admit the mistake and not complain about the ban.
Farrell's approach to Basham has been the subject of much criticism
This is where the line needs to be drawn. Fair criticism is not the same as personal insults to Farrell, which are coming from some quarters, especially from cowardly Internet warriors who deliberately confuse the right to free speech with the supposed right to freedom of hate speech.
I Of course, some will blithely claim that such violence comes with being a famous athlete. They will continue to make stupid comments about how if such athletes are happy to enjoy the fame, they can't complain about a few nasty comments. This is nonsense.
Athletes are entitled to a certain degree of decency. They can expect criticism, they receive it, and invariably do not respond to most of it. What they should not tolerate are personal comments, offensive comments and comments that affect their wider circumstances. If you're saying they just shouldn't read the comments, you're being naive. You can't help but learn about them from other people, especially if it affects your family.
Anyone with an ounce of objectivity knows the line between a harshly fair comment and an insult, and he knows when he condones the latter.
If we boil it down to the basics, we are talking about athletes. They don't push for elections or create the laws that govern us. Their actions do not affect our safety, well-being or freedom. No matter how important people consider their sport to be, it is still just a sport.
If Farrell's mental health is so unstable, why is he still playing for his club? This comment misunderstands the nature of mental health. There are circumstances that people can cope with, and there are circumstances that, although they seem the same, they cannot cope with. The familiarity and support Farrell will receive at Saracens is not the environment he will encounter in England.
Farrell will continue to play for Saracens during his international break. Photo: Getty Images/Bob Bradford
I began to think that we had moved forward since the Biles decision, that we had matured in our attitudes towards mental health; that we have become more aware of the difficulties involved. It takes courage to admit that you have mental health problems, and it may be even more difficult when you are in the public eye.
The continued reaction to Pharrell's statement will be the measure of whether we have done everything possible. any real progress in this area. It will show us whether we are still listening to fools shouting platitudes like “It’s not pressure, you should try flying with a Messerschmitt on your tail,” or whether we accept mental health problems as real and wish only the best for the people who experience them .< /p>
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