Former Irish rugby fitness coach Paul Pook is driven by ambition that his suicide prevention project can save lives
Paul Pook: ‘For half of those 22 years I’ve been unable to work. And for some of those years I’ve been working while struggling.’ Photo: Matt Browne/Sportsfile
Rewind 16 years to the arena once known as the Millennium Stadium and the victory forever known as Ireland’s second Grand Slam. There was the drop-goal from Ronan O’Gara, the missed penalty by Stephen Jones, and a shared exhale of relief and joy with the end of a 61-year wait.
In a wide TV angle of the moments directly after the final whistle a member of the Ireland staff can be seen bending down to give a kiss of gratitude on the pitch. That was Paul Pook. He was also in the background of other TV pictures with a huge smile hugging his colleagues.