Wellbeing support from Rugby League Cares was at the heart of the success enjoyed by England’s men, women and wheelchair players in the autumn internationals.
THE autumn of 2024 proved to be one to remember for everyone involved with the England rugby league teams that highlighted the pre-eminence of international competition.
A year before the much-anticipated and a long-overdue Ashes Test series against Australia, England’s representatives in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair teams delivered strong performances.
Few people could fail to be impressed by the way in which England men secured their 2-0 series win against Samoa; England Women were in a different league altogether in despatching an outclassed Wales; and in the wheelchair international, England completed a splendid victory over arch-rivals France.
Perhaps the most impressive – and under-reported – English success came on the other side of the world, where the England Community Lions, the cream of the crop of players in the National Conference League, won both of their tour games against Western Australia.
There were many common threads running through England’s success, not least focus, dedication, application, hard work, meticulous planning, attention to detail and commitment, all of which combined to bring about results that reflected the pride that comes with representing your country.
Rugby League Cares also played a small but important role in the international success by providing whole-person wellbeing support to every England team throughout the autumn programme.
The charity’s dedicated team of wellbeing professionals are embedded within the RFL’s England Performance Unit and the community programme that features the Community Lions.
Led by director of wellbeing and welfare Steve McCormack, the team have established strong, trusting relationships with both the players and coaching staff across the England set up, helping create the winning and supportive culture that is required to achieve sustained sporting success.
“Our presence in the England teams forms a small but significant part of the comprehensive package of support we offer to players involved at every level of the sport,” said McCormack.
“The charity’s trustees and the RFL recognise how important it is that we support the England Performance Unit and the community game, and we are privileged to be in a position to do so.”
McCormack’s commitment was underlined by his presence on the Community Lions’ trip to Perth, where he spent three weeks working alongside the coaching staff to help ensure the tour was as successful and smooth as possible.
“From a purely personal perspective, this was a chance for me to give something back. All of us begin our rugby league journey with our local community club and I owe a lot to the people at Wigan St Jude’s where it all started for me.
“We apply a lot of positive psychology to our presence in camp. A lot of our approach is around gratitude: gratitude to all the people who helped the players get to where they are, be that wives, girlfriends, parents, clubmates and employers.
“Being away on tour or in camp takes a lot of people out of their comfort zone, so we work on areas such as sleep hygiene. We also reinforce the connections that come with representing your country, and ensure the players understand and embrace the link to those who wore the national jersey before them.”
McCormack also took the opportunity to forge stronger links with his counterparts in Australia during the trip, and caught up with a few people very familiar to fans in this country, including former Halifax and Keighley hooker Jason Ramshaw, who is now resident in Perth, and ex-Wakefield coach John Harbin.
For Alan Davidson, the RFL’s player and coach development manager, McCormack’s presence with the England Community Lions was an intrinsic part of the team’s achievement in Australia.
“Steve’s wealth of knowledge in the field of wellbeing and self-care continues to be invaluable to our programme,” said Davidson.
“His presence in camp added considerably to the experience of being on tour for all the players. Steve was great at having a quiet word here and a discreet conversation there with the lads, who were really appreciative of all he brought to the trip.
“Rugby League Cares have been supporting us for five years now and we are hugely grateful for the charity’s commitment.”
While McCormack was Down Under, support to the England teams playing at home was provided by Steve Hardisty and Francis Stephenson, with Hardisty going into camp with England men before the first Test against Samoa.
Stephenson, the former Wakefield, Hull KR, Wigan, London and England prop, has been an intrinsic member of the England wheelchair team over the last three years, and this year provided wellbeing support to the women before their Test against Wales and the men ahead of the second Test against Samoa.
“I have a really close relationship within the wheelchair team so my role with them is different to what it was with the men’s and women’s teams,” explained Stephenson.
“With the men and women, I was there in a predominantly responsive capacity, while with the wheelchair team my role is very full on.
“I’m able to offer a wide range of support to the players in whatever part of their lives they need to help them achieve their goals.
“That might be advice about their emotions in camp or suggesting a career plan for a player who is looking for a change in their life away from rugby.
“I found it fascinating to be around all three England teams this autumn, observing not just the differences in approach between the men, women and wheelchair players, but the common threads that run through elite athletes.
“Everything went really smoothly behind the scenes and there was no need for any major interventions. The most important thing is that the charity was visible in its support for all the players in camp.
“We were involved in lots of good conversations and were able to develop relationship with players who are going to be on the international scene for many years to come.
“It was also an opportunity to make the senior players aware that we are always here for them, even outside the international programme should they need advice or support outside that offered by their own club’s wellbeing manager.”
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 503 (December 2024)
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