Bravery Starts Here: PREM Rugby and Mental Health UK unite to tackle mental health

Exeter Chiefs is proud to support PREM Rugby with the launch of a powerful new mental health campaign Bravery Starts Here, with official charity partner Mental Health UK. 

Kicking off during Gallagher PREM Round 3 (10–12 October) and coinciding with World Mental Health Day on Friday, 10 October – when we face local rivals Bristol Bears on Saturday. This season-long campaign will harness the strength and solidarity of the rugby community to redefine what it means to be brave.

At its heart, Bravery Starts Here will use rugby as a tool to equip fans, players, coaches, and staff with the support, connections and skills they need to be their brave, bold and determined selves on and off the pitch.

Whether it’s playing 80 minutes of high-impact rugby in front of thousands or simply getting out of bed during a tough period, Bravery Starts Here champions every act of courage, no matter how big or small, whoever you are in rugby. Together, PREM Rugby and Mental Health UK are determined to tackle the drivers of poor mental health and help remove the barriers stopping people from living life to their full potential.

Laylla Stanley, strategic lead - social impact and D&I for PREM Rugby said: "Our partnership with Mental Health UK demonstrates our commitment to using rugby as a force for good beyond the pitch. The sport is perfectly placed to be used as a tool to help people be their brave and bold selves. Bravery isn’t just in the tackles and tries – it’s in the everyday choices we make to support ourselves and each other.”

A community like no other

The campaign launches during Derby Weekend, where our local rivalry with Bristol Bears will take centre stage, but even in the most heated contests, the rugby community knows how to stand united. In rugby, we are rivals for 80 minutes and teammates for life.

Spectators will sit side-by-side with a fan of the opposing team, even in a local derby, and still bond over a shared love of the game. That’s the unique power of rugby - fierce competition met with deep camaraderie. In the face of mental health challenges, the rugby community can become a lifeline - a place of connection, strength and unwavering support.

PREM Rugby and Mental Health UK commissioned a piece of research with YouGov to spotlight the perceptions rugby fans have of mental health and wellbeing. The research shows that nearly 30% of rugby fans feel confident supporting others with their mental health - compared to just 25% of UK adults*. The culture of rugby, built on being brave, bold, determined and welcoming, makes it the ideal environment to break down stigma and have the conversations that matter.

Join us

Across Derby Weekend, every fixture in Round 3 of the Gallagher PREM will spotlight mental health, with clubs and communities coming together in solidarity.

Together, we’ll provide you with the tools, resources and connections needed to support everyone in our rugby family.

Join us on a shared mission: to be there for each other, to start a brave conversation, and to show that bravery starts here.

Resources - Read more about the Bravery Starts Here campaign and access tools and support www.mentalhealth-uk.org/prem-rugby/

About PREM Rugby

PREM Rugby is the organisation that manages the top league in English club rugby – Gallagher PREM.

It acts for its shareholder clubs in all major commercial and strategic negotiations with media and sponsorship partners of the league, as well as with other rugby governing bodies. PREM Rugby is also responsible for key areas of governance of the top-flight competitions, including the Salary Cap Framework, Minimum Standards Criteria and Code of Conduct, as well as managing the Gallagher PREM competition and the PREM Rugby Cup, both of which are televised live by TNT Sports.

About Mental Health UK

Mental Health UK brings together over 50 years of experience from four UK charities to tackle the causes of poor mental health. Their work empowers people with the tools they need to thrive at home, at school, and in the workplace - creating real, lasting change across the UK.

* YouGov Plc online survey July 2025. Sample size 2046 UK adults. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).