Swys se wen rekord

Super Rugby coaches at the Lions:

Coach Swys opens up

Lions and Springbok assistant coach Swys de Bruin finally revealed exactly what caused him to return home from New Zealand in the week his side were due to play the Chiefs in Hamilton.

De Bruin told You magazine that he was tormented by the fact that the match was going to be played on Good Friday and also by the indecent assault conviction against the team's defence coach Joey Mongalo, after an incident in Sydney last year.

The 59-year-old De Bruin said his hotel bed sheets were drenched after he broke out in a cold sweat, and his wife Marilize ordered him home.

"The Lions are a Christian team and I found it incredibly difficult to play on Good Friday," said De Bruin, who led the Lions into last year's final against the Crusaders.

"Many of our supporters criticised us for that too. I felt I should've taken a stand, but I didn't.

"I started getting a hollow feeling in my stomach and thought 'today I'm saying goodbye to the world'. I called my wife and told her I felt as if I were drowning, but didn't know why. She said I should come home immediately."

Here at the Wrap desk we commend coach Swys for being so forthright about mental-health issues. The sport can do with a whole lot more honesty when it comes to that particular subject. The GLRU also gets a tip of the hat for their unwavering support of their coach in such a tough time.