Sir John Kirwan. Photo / Tania Whyte
Although Sir John Kirwan is a self-confessed "city boy," he does venture out into the rural community to teach farmers how to cope with mental health issues when times get tough.
The rugby legend and mental health advocate spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay to offer advice on how to
deal with the pressures of rural life.
"The interesting thing that I find in the farming community is that when a farmer feels under pressure, he works harder. He's also relatively introverted by nature ... he worries about a couple of things that tend to be out of his control."
Kirwan suggests farmers should get interests "outside the farm," and to talk about problems with others.
"It's not a weakness to be stressed and under pressure when you have things outside your control. If you can talk about that kind of stuff to your mates, or to your colleagues - or even get some professional help - then that's going to lighten the burden and give you some strategies around how to deal with what's an incredibly difficult time."
