New season of 'Tackle your Feelings' Schools programme

As part of the launch, TYF is offering teachers across the four provinces the chance to win two tickets per province to a provincial rugby game this season

Rugby Players Ireland are teaming up with Irish Rugby stars Zac Ward and Béibhinn Parsons to launch the new school season of the Tackle Your Feelings Schools online teaching platform. As part of the launch, TYF are encouraging teachers and schools nationwide to sign up to the free classroom-based programme to help equip students across Ireland with practical tools for building resilience, emotional intelligence, and positive mental health.

To show their appreciation to the educators delivering the programme this year, TYF are running a nationwide competition which will give teachers from each of the four provinces the chance to win two tickets to a rugby game of their provincial team this season. To enter, teachers and their school must be signed up to deliver the programme this school year, 2024/2025. Those who have registered their interest and completed the full sign-up will be contacted with further details from the Tackle Your Feelings team.

On the teaching platform, teachers are equipped with the tools and resources to guide their students through relevant resources where the students will complete tasks and exercises designed to make them more aware and knowledgeable about their own mental health and wellbeing. When one section is complete, the next will unlock allowing the students and teachers to progress through the programme which also features a number of our ambassadors who share their own experiences of mental wellbeing, acting as role models to encourage students to be honest with themselves when it comes to their mental health.

Today, TYF ambassadors Zac Ward and Béibhinn Parsons team up alongside multiple influential rugby figures in Ireland including Calvin Nash, Christy Haney, Eimear Considine, Ryan Baird, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, and James Lowe as they support the Tackle Your Feelings Schools Programme across the country. Zac and Béibhinn joined forces with TYF this summer for the Seven Lessons with Rugby 7s series which saw some of the Ireland Rugby Sevens players return to their schools, sharing advice on wellbeing whilst also hearing from the next generation on how they best manage the tools to support themselves and their peers with their mental health.

For teachers, a pilot study (with 8 teachers) was conducted in association with the University of Limerick to assess teachers’ perspectives on the experience of facilitating the TYF programme on youth mental wellbeing. Through this, teachers commented that TYF normalised conversations around mental wellbeing. Teachers noted that implementing TYF Schools encouraged dialogue around mental wellbeing by also acting as “a catalyst for them to talk about it”.

The Tackle Your Feelings Schools Programme is a classroom-based, teacher-led, life skills development programme which enables students to build healthy habits and personal coping strategies as well as kindness and understanding when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. The content for the programme, is developed using positive and sport psychology principles and is supported with comprehensive lesson plans for teachers, whilst students can easily access the content when in school or at home. The TYF Schools Programme includes an 8-lesson schedule, covering awareness, emotions, wellbeing characteristics and self-care.

Speaking at the launch, Ulster Rugby Player, 7s Star and Tackle Your Feelings ambassador, Zac Ward said: "It's fantastic to see a programme like TYF Schools empowering young people to proactively manage their mental wellbeing. Having these tools available from a young age can make a real difference, and I'm delighted to be involved. I really enjoyed being part of the TYF content series this summer and hearing from young people directly on the impact a programme like this has.”

Also supporting the launch, Ireland 7s and 15s International and Tackle Your Feelings ambassador, Béibhinn Parsons said: “It has been brilliant to see the impact of the TYF programme in schools nationwide and I was delighted to be part of the Seven Lessons with Rugby 7s this year. We understand the importance of mental health in sport, and it's equally crucial in everyday life. The TYF Schools Programme provides invaluable resources, and the competition for provincial match tickets is a brilliant way to acknowledge the dedication of teachers who bring this programme to life."

Anthony Brennan, CEO of Zurich Ireland said: “A vital element of our schools’ programme is to guide students on minding their mental wellbeing and to provide them with the tools to support them. We see the dedication from teachers nationwide each year in ensuring their students feel understood and cared for. We are proud to continue encouraging teachers and schools nationwide to sign up for the TYF Schools Programme and to create a brighter future for all young people."

Tackle Your Feelings Campaign Manager at RPI, Hannah McCormack, said: “We are extremely proud to keep growing the TYF programme in schools nationwide and reaching new students each school term. Continuing our launch this year alongside a competition for the teachers with our incredible ambassadors, is just one step in our ongoing journey to champion those delivering the programme in schools across Ireland. We're excited to continue working with Zurich and our dedicated educators to continue making an incredible impact on the lives of this young generation."

The TYF Programme is run by Rugby Players Ireland and funded by the Z Zurich Foundation. It has motivated people across Ireland to be more proactive when it comes to looking after their mental wellbeing and has increased awareness around the importance of taking care of your mental health. TYF has also reached international audiences and has inspired similar campaigns across the globe, including; The English Rugby Players’ Association (RPA), ‘Lift the Weight’ campaign, New Zealand Rugby’s ‘HeadFirst’ campaign and Tackle Your Feelings Australia, a collaboration between Zurich Australia, the AFLPA and AFLCA.

For more information on Tackle Your Feelings follow the Instagram account @tyf or visit the website www.tackleyourfeelings.com which will share videos, updates on events and competitions.

You can also download the TYF Schools app via the iOS and Android app stores via the links here

Link Android store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pangr.tyf_schools

Link iOS store: https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/tyf-schools/id1498856608