At the end of March, Joe van Niekerk will be hosting a five-day men’s retreat, ‘The Warrior’s Path’, at former Scotland wing Rory Lamont’s healing sanctuary in the Scottish Highlands. Former Wales prop Rhys Thomas and ex-Ireland lock Ryan Caldwell (above) will also attend.
All four men struggled with mental health issues after their rugby careers ended, before taking similar journeys to recovery.
After a career-ending injury in 2013, Lamont overcame severe physical and emotional challenges through natural therapies and plant medicine.
Thomas suffered a career-ending heart attack during training in 2012, leading to alcoholism and near death experiences. Now four years sober, he is an inspirational speaker, charity co-founder, mentor and breathwork practitioner.
Following a career-ending injury, Caldwell battled drug and alcohol addiction and severe depression for several years.…