Topo Rodriguez: More than a great prop

“My idea is not necessarily shared by doctors but I think it’s quite possible for a person – not just a rugby player, [they] could be a painter, a writer, anyone who’s pushing the boundaries of life…

“I’ve done that quite a number of times, when I was with the Wallabies and also in Argentina – I think sometime something must click, something goes, it’s like running on empty and you still run… At some stage, [with] all that extra hard training, something must have happened in my chemical balance,” explained Topo Rodriguez to the ABC.

So, while Rodriguez was playing rugby his undiagnosed bipolar mood disorder was lying dormant, however, once he retired Topo became extremely ill with depressive episodes lasting continuously for eight years.

My question is, did rugby function as a preventative for his depression throughout his playing career or did the hard physical training and mental pressure of playing international rugby increase the level of depression? Or it was both?

I am not a psychologist, but with some high-profile sports people there appears to be a tipping point where the intensity of playing international sport pushes them over the edge, leading to suicide or having to take a mental health break from their chosen sport.

After Rodriguez retired he did contemplate suicide from his severe depression.

His preparation for rugby matches bordered on the fanatical (meaning marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion). Does this intensity influence the mental state of a person? This intensity before say a big rugby match is greater than what the average person would experience daily before our tasks begin.

Maybe prior to a speech, presentation, or an arduous task, we may get nervous but nothing like facing up to large crowds, media scrutiny and fan criticism. Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones used alcohol and drugs as a crutch to overcome nervousness prior to going on stage and performing. A sports person does not have a similar freedom to use such a booster to manage the intensity of a high-profile life.

Ever wondered why sports people fall off the rails and end up in a life of addictive behaviour? Once the career ends what else is there? It must be quite devastating to go from performing in front of large crowds, the attention and idolising to virtually nothing. The adjustment to a “normal” life would be quite humbling.

Some cricketers are prone to mental health problems with the result being suicide. David Frith’s book Silence of the Heart is a biographical account of over 100 cricketers who have taken their own lives.

“Among international players for England and several other countries it is far above the national average for all sports: and there have been numerous instances at other levels of the game.”

Why cricket? Is it the pressure environment and meticulous nature of the sport or is it the type of person attracted to the game?

(Steven Paston – EMPICS/Getty Images)

The one way a sports person can manage depression is to help others with the mentally crippling disease, which is what Topo Rodriguez did, presumably making him happier. As with many men we do not ask for help, which Topo did not do for 35 years. It was not until a friend offered him help that he realised what the solution was.

As for Topo the rugby player? He was acclaimed by former coach Alan Jones as “arguably the best front row forward to play for Australia.” I would suggest the best loose head prop in the world.

Enrique “Topo” Rodriguez was born 1952 in Concordia, Argentina. He studied Psychology at Universidad Nacional de Cordoba and played rugby for the University team in 1971. Topo played his first Test match for Argentina versus the All Blacks in 1979 and his last Test for the Pumas in 1983. When playing for Argentina against the Wallabies in 1983 he devastated the Wallaby scrum, acquiring some attention no doubt.

He then moved to Sydney, where the Warringah Club welcomed him and his family to the community. Hardly 10 weeks after his arrival he was playing his first Test for Australia against Fiji in 1984.

Highlights of his career include playing for the Wallabies on their Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland in 1984 and winning the 1986 Bledisloe Cup series in New Zealand. He represented the Wallabies at the 1987 Rugby World Cup and captained Australia against Mendoza Province in Argentina.

Topo accumulated 39 caps for Argentina and Australia with one for Tahiti versus France in an invitational match.

Rodriguez was a mobile prop, extraordinarily strong and energetic, who could play tighthead prop, loosehead prop and hooker. He stated once that, “without any shadow of a doubt, rugby has been to me and continues to be a great university for life.”

He retired from international rugby in 1987 but continued to play for Warringah until 1992. His awards include the Australian Sports Medal for services to rugby and he is the founder and CEO of the Bipolar Education Foundation. In August 2012 Rodriguez self-published a book called The Art of Scrummaging, which was updated in 2015.

Topo (meaning “Mole” in Spanish) is a rugby legend, a family man and mental health advocate who pioneered scrummaging techniques. He has been a public speaker, master of ceremonies and was the subject of the play Topo by Neil Cole.

I wonder if high achievers suffering from depression realise that a busy, motivated, productive life is the answer to their mental health problems? My thoughts turned to Daniel Hayes the “Million Dollar Bogan” who is the star of a motor bike adventure vlog on YouTube.

He also suffers from depression but has built a successful real estate business and is widely admired worldwide for his open and honest thoughts and opinions. When he is busy is when he is happiest and I gather the same applies to Topo.

Doing these biographies of past players has broadened what I knew of the players and helped me and hopefully you to get to know them better. I never knew what Rodriguez had been through and can only admire the man even more.

I knew him as a great prop for Australia many years ago without knowing the person he really is.

Topo Rodriguez, another favourite Wallaby.

The Roar encourages all readers who may be suffering from mental illness to seek support from organisations such as Lifeline, Beyond Blue or Headspace.