Combat loneliness: How getting involved in sports can help those who feel alone

1.8 million adults in Ireland admit to suffering from loneliness at one time or another. That accounts for almost one in every two adults across the Republic of Ireland, which is a truly staggering statistic gleaned from a nationally representative study* commissioned by laya healthcare.

The source of this huge uptick in national loneliness can potentially be traced back to a series of recent incidences – the pandemic for one, as well as the huge increase in social media usage – but perhaps for most people, their loneliness stems from a lack of real social connections.

We sat down with Dr. Emma Burrows, the Personal Development Manager for Leinster Rugby, to more fully discuss the modern concept of loneliness, how Leinster Rugby look after their players welfare and how participating in sports – be it playing on the pitch, assisting from behind the scenes, or as a part of the crowd supporting from the sidelines – can help to combat it.

Dr. Burrows’ role is to help the athletes prepare for the biggest changes and transitions in their lives throughout their athletic career, but also through their own personal lives, too. That can begin right from their first steps within the Leinster Rugby walls, as the players join a brand new team at the same time as starting on their path as college students, as they are surrounded by tens – or even hundreds – of strangers.

According to that same study, the cohort that openly admits to feeling lonely more than any other are those aged 24 and below. If you are a young person who is feeling lonely, then do not worry, as Dr. Burrows will tell you, you are not alone:

“If you are in your early twenties, and you’re feeling lonely, I absolutely promise you that the people you are going to love for the rest of your life, you haven’t met them all yet. There is an opportunity for you to connect, and sport is one of those wonderful ways to do it. A shared mission, a shared vision, a shared interest – it is going to reignite your relationships.”

“Maybe find a way to offer connection, I often find the best way to find connection is to offer it to someone else and have them respond. Because you have to assume that if you’re feeling awkward about connecting with someone, they probably are, too.”

“If someone is currently experiencing loneliness, I couldn’t recommend enough connecting with a sports team. 85pc of people who answered this survey agreed that sports offers connection, and helps them feel less lonely. I know myself that rugby would be my first choice, I am privileged to work in it, but it is where I have chosen to send my son to make connections, too.”

On the opposite end of a player’s career, Dr. Burrows also assists them as they face their final season or game, be it from retirement or injury, and when that athlete-as-career section of their life is essentially over.

That career-end transition is one of the biggest conversations had with players, Dr. Burrows tells us: “We know that their participation in this social group, in this team, with these friendships, is going to end. If you talk to players about it, they find the starkest moment is when they are removed from the WhatsApp group because they don’t need to be in it anymore, they don’t belong there.

“So I try to have lots of conversations with them, well in advance of any potential career end, about belonging to other groups, making sure that you have a diverse identity, diverse social group. That you have friends who will call you on a Friday night and ask you if you’re coming out for pints.

“Having those extra relationships really combats that loneliness that comes at the end of that athletic career, when you don’t belong here anymore and you’re trying to find your feet.”

To help tackle this epidemic of loneliness, laya healthcare has collaborated with academic psychologist Dr. Joanna McHugh Power to develop three informative papers on loneliness, offering guidance for those affected.

To foster connection, laya healthcare will distribute hundreds of game tickets throughout the season, starting with Christmas fixtures, and plan more initiatives for the new year, under the banner of ‘We Are One Always’, in light of the insight that most people believe that sport can be a powerful way to help combat loneliness.

These initiatives include supporter event catch-ups, programmes tailored to specifically encourage former or new fans to attend games, and much more. In partnership with Connacht, Leinster, and Munster Rugby, laya healthcare is working alongside the provinces in order to deliver a positive impact against loneliness, while continuing to build the rugby community as a welcoming and inclusive one.

For more information visit www.layahealthcare.ie

*Findings based on a nationally representative study of 1,000 completed by Spark Research, June 2024. Population figures of CSO population statistics for June 2024.