Sevens star Trael Joass opens up about mental health struggles

Trael Joass has had to overcome more than most people in life, let alone other rugby players.

He's had to learn to be resilient from an early age.

"I think my life has just been like that aye, my whole life from being a young fulla dealing with situations that most adults don't deal with," said Joass.

Despite a childhood surrounded by gangs and violence, Joass rose against the odds to carve a future in rugby.

But in 2014 his promising career faced another setback, persistent heart murmurs had caught up with him, forcing him into surgery.

Nevertheless Joass persisted, rising through the ranks to score the final try in the All Blacks Sevens' 2018 final win in San Francisco.

But in the years that followed, his life came crashing down.

"The hardest was to come I ended up having suicide and depression," said Joass.

The fact is the 28-year-old has struggled with mental health most of his life, he says the warning signs were there but he ignored them.

Two career threatening knee injuries tied in with the disrupted Sevens calendar and Joass had fallen out of favour with selectors and out of the Tokyo Games squad.

"The Olympic selection stuff triggered my childhood trauma, I wasn't in a strong enough mindset to pull it in I just resorted to being useless the downfall of that was what was to come".

"It was something I could never have prepared for it looking back on it, there were early signs of me falling back into depression at the start of the year just purely from my ACL injury," said Joass.

He openly admits had his depression had it's way last year, he wouldn't be playing in this weekend's Singapore Sevens World Series event.

Thankfully, the Whangārei native has always been surrounded by a loving whānau both in rugby and at home.

At his lowest point, he sought professional help.

"I think for me I was just like what's a conversation? Try and have the courage in a time of being weak to have a conversation and just see where it takes you because worst comes to worst I just go do it anyway you know, I'm already there".

"As I look back a reflect I go 'man if only if I could talk to my psychologist when I was 18 would this have all changed?' It's one of those things too bro, that's life, it's part of the journey," he said.

"I found out it's a lot more common than not, especially in the time we live in with professional rugby where it can all be overshadowed by the life and dream every kid wants, more people deal with it and people you wouldn't expect sometimes we look at people we think they've got it right and generally that's not the case".

Joass is reaping the rewards of confronting his demons and his creating future goals for himself outside of rugby.

Using his building background and experiences, he wants to provide apprenticeship opportunities for vulnerable kids like him.

"I can see past today that's for sure bro, not long ago I couldn't see past the next hour let alone a minute so for me its looking good".

"I think I'd be a fool if I don't take my learnings and help at least one person in my time where I can then that's a positive it's definitely not a road I'd wish my worst enemy on".

Thankfully Joass' life has turned in the right direction, taking him to a significant milestone in his long road to recovery.

Joass has recently been named in the All Blacks Sevens squad for the World Sevens Series.

"A lot of hardship... but I want to enjoy the moment aye, for me it's going to be like running out like the first time in Sydney a few years ago, a more mature version of myself, these opportunities are becoming less and less and cherishing it".