Paul Wood reveals suicidal thoughts

As a rugby league player, Paul Wood was known for his tenacity and toughness on the field.

Indeed, the 2012 Grand Final will forever be remembered as the game in which Wood – playing for Warrington Wolves against the Leeds Rhinos – ruptured his testicle and then played on for 20 minutes.

It was a bizarre and incredible story, but the forward has had other challenges to face – none more so than the mental health problems he suffered with whilst still playing.

In Movember’s – a men’s mental health charity – latest advertisement, Wood and other former rugby league stars including Robbie Hunter-Paul spoke out on #AheadOfTheGame about their suicidal thoughts.

Wood said: “From the outside I had a lovely house, a couple of cars on the drive and we were expecting our third child.

“But I just got to a point where I planned on taking my own life.”

The forward spent 15 years at Warrington before making the trip to Featherstone Rovers where he retired in 2015, only to step back out for Whitehaven in 2018.

"From the outside I had a lovely house, a couple of cars on the drive and we were expecting our third child.

"But I just got to a point where I planned on taking my own life"

@Paul_Wood_RL16 sharing his #MentalHealthMatters journey on #AheadOfTheGame pic.twitter.com/0ypXlDSmgK

— Movember UK (@MovemberUK) October 15, 2021