Ramsey Rugby Club has teamed up with island mental health charity Isle Stand Up to Suicide to feature the latter’s logo on the northerners’ new kit.

Founded in 2023, Isle Stand Up to Suicide works to prevent suicide by providing a free telephone helpline, delivering suicide-prevention training and raising awareness across the community.

Research shows that one in four people have experienced suicidal thoughts. Despite three-quarters of men reporting symptoms of negative mental health, as many as 40% of men in the UK have never spoken to anyone about it. Between 2020 and 2024, 68 lives were lost to suicide in the island.

Paula Dunlop, chairperson and founder of the charity, said: ‘Ramsey Rugby Club have long been supporters of Isle Stand Up to Suicide, with many club members having completed suicide-prevention training, helping to reduce stigma and encourage open conversations about mental health.

‘This new partnership is a significant statement that Ramsey Rugby Club stands up to suicide. We all believe that one life lost to suicide is one life too many, and that suicide is preventable.’

Connor Cracknell, who coordinated the partnership on behalf of the Mooragh Park club, added: ‘We are absolutely delighted to announce this partnership, which has been several months in the making.

‘When we decided to partner with a local charity this season, and feature their logo on the front of our kit, we put the decision to a player vote, and Isle Stand Up to Suicide was the clear favourite.

‘Everyone at the club recognises the incredible work they do within our community, and we’re excited to help promote their message as widely as possible.

‘The suicide statistics on the Isle of Man are alarming, higher than both UK and global averages, with nearly three-quarters of those deaths being male. We need to get men talking more openly about their mental health, and we hope that by partnering with Isle Stand Up to Suicide we can help make that happen.’