Six Nations Tackle-a-thon comes to Porthcawl this Sunday
A FORMER Welsh professional rugby player will take to the freezing waters of Coney Beach this weekend as part of a powerful suicide prevention awareness campaign linked to the Six Nations Championship.
Paul Pook, now an international performance coach, will enter the sea at Coney Beach on Sunday (Feb 22) at 10.30am as part of the “Rugby Against Suicide – Six Nations Tackle-a-thon”.
The initiative is delivered through his non-profit organisation, Tackle Suicide CIC, which works to protect the mental health and wellbeing of rugby and contact sport athletes, as well as the wider community.
The campaign has already attracted national attention, including coverage from BBC Sport and The Sunday Times.
Turning Six Nations scores into action
The concept behind the challenge is stark. On average, 125 people die by suicide in the UK each week — a figure that mirrors the typical total number of points scored across a week of Six Nations fixtures.
For every point scored during the championship, Paul completes a tackle on land. For every try scored, those tackles take place in the cold sea.
Solidarity tackles are also being completed by players, clubs and supporters across the rugby community, under the message: “We love rugby – rugby saves lives.”
The Porthcawl event will feature solidarity tackles involving former Welsh internationals, celebrities and special guests, alongside opportunities for members of the public to hold or tackle the bag themselves in support of the campaign.
Raising awareness and saving lives
The campaign aims to raise both awareness and vital funds for Tackle Suicide CIC. Paul founded the organisation following his own lived experience of mental ill-health after retiring from elite sport.
Each tackle symbolises the invisible hits many players face long after retirement — including identity loss, isolation, brain injury challenges and the stigma surrounding mental health struggles.
The initiative is built around a simple but crucial message: talking about suicide saves lives.
The campaign has backing from leading figures in the rugby world, including referee Nigel Owens, former British & Irish Lions captain Keith Wood and former All Black John Kirwan, a long-standing mental health advocate.
Sir John serves as Global Advocacy Ambassador for Tackle Suicide, while Keith Wood acts as an advisor to the initiative. A future Tackle-a-thon event is also planned involving Nigel Owens.
Funds raised will support the development of the Tackle360 digital wellbeing platform, provide access to talking therapies for players in need, and contribute to global lived-experience research across the rugby community.
The Six Nations Tackle-a-thon runs throughout both the men’s and women’s championships.
Members of the public are invited to attend Sunday’s event at Coney Beach to show their support.
