A Glasgow Rugby club is hoping to challenge misconceptions and break down the stigma surrounding men's mental health with a new charity partnership.

Glasgow High Kelvinside will work closely with Scottish charity See Me, encouraging men to speak up when they are struggling and find healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress and anxiety.

To mark the start of their new partnership, star player and local entrepreneur Danny Campbell, 31, has spoken of how playing rugby has played a part in his own mental health journey.

Glasgow Times: Pictured: Star rugby player Danny is an ambassador for See Me ScotlandPictured: Star rugby player Danny is an ambassador for See Me Scotland

He said: "All through High School, I was a bit of an anxious person, without any logic to it, which is probably the basis for all anxiety. 

“I knew it was rugby for me, it’s a pure release where I can express myself and don’t think about anything else.

“No matter how demanding things have been of my time, I’ve always gone to rugby training twice a week and played on a Saturday.

“It’s one of the things I don’t compromise on, and that’s really been the backbone of my sanity for a long time."

READ MORE: Man who lived in woods has new home in Glasgow with Housing First

Glasgow Times: Pictured: Dad of three Danny with his familyPictured: Dad of three Danny with his family

Danny has now managed to find a balance in his life with three young children, his rugby training and a flourishing architecture firm.

HOKO, which is crowdfunding now, is worth £15 million just two and a half years after its launch.

Believing that this success has largely come from learning to take care of his own mental health, Danny hopes that GHK’s partnership with See Me will help others to understand the importance of speaking freely about their individual struggles.

He said: “When See Me joined forces with GHK, as one of the older and more established players I saw it as an opportunity to say to people, ‘look, can we talk about this stuff?’

“Some people might see my life and think it’s all good, but there’s a lot of struggle and attrition needed, and the key thing is I’ve got coping mechanisms now.

“It’s very important to help shine a light on talking about things and that people need to find a way to do that.

“See Me is absolutely brilliant, it’s incredible and will make a huge difference to a lot of people who are very vulnerable.

“For people who are trying to project a macho image and anyone who’s anxious about showing their vulnerability, the moment you reveal that you become so much stronger.

"It makes you stronger to be vulnerable.”

READ MORE: Kind hearted volunteer recognised as Citizen of the Year

Encouraging this healthy mindset and changing attitudes is a vital part of the club's efforts to help See Me support men of any ages all over Scotland.

Glasgow Times: Pictured: Danny in action on the fieldPictured: Danny in action on the field

Toni Groundwater, See Me programme manager for communities and priority groups, said: “We hear phrases like ‘man up’ when it comes to struggling.

"But you can’t man up out of an illness, and it can make men feel like they can’t tell anyone, or they shouldn’t.

“Men are less likely to ask each other how they are feeling or chat about what they are going through. 

"They are not encouraged to admit when they are struggling. It can be seen as a sign of weakness for men to speak about how they’re feeling. 

"This partnership with Glasgow High Kelvinside Rugby Club seeks to raise awareness of mental health stigma and discrimination and its impact on people’s ability to speak openly and seek help when they need it.

"Through GHK and with the wider rugby community we aim to make real changes that can stop people struggling alone.

"Role models like Danny are key to this and show that anyone can struggle.”

For more information on See Me click here.