Wife of suicidal rugby star tells of his torment

Brett Seymour crashed his BMW on his way to the bridge after taking “a handful” of sleeping pills combined with alcohol last month.

The 28-year-old scrum-half, who made a number of uncharacteristic errors and injured his knee during a televised game against Widnes the previous day, admitted to his wife Roseanne afterwards he had wanted to end his life.

Speaking publicly about the experience for the first time, Mrs Seymour told the Sunday People she was unable to pinpoint when her husband’s depression started.

She said: “I watched him on television towards the end of last season and thought ‘that’s not him’. Now, looking back, he was quieter than usual.

“You think you know a person in every way. How did I miss that there was something wrong. If I couldn’t see the extent he was suffering, who could?

“A counsellor told me not to feel guilty for not spotting the signs. I was told that a person contemplating suicide will keep it to themselves so I shouldn’t feel guilty.

“It tears you to pieces. I’m just so grateful he’s alive.”

She added: “Professional players seem to thrive on the adrenaline but many, including my husband, ­suppress any negative feelings and bottle things up. I assume this is because they don’t want to appear weak and have a manly reputation to uphold.”

Mrs Seymour, who has been with her husband for 12 years and lives with him and their 11-month-old daughter in Hull, described being rushed to his hospital bedside after he crashed in nearby Hessle.

She said: “Brett said he’d taken a handful of temazepam pills and washed them down with wine. He doesn’t remember driving to the bridge.

“He was sobbing, crying in a way I’ve never seen him before. It was heartbreaking. He told me he was in a daze and couldn’t think rationally.”

She added: “He told me, ‘I had silly thoughts of ending my life for about two days leading up to it. All I could think of was driving off the Humber Bridge. I can’t explain it, it ­overtook me, I’m so sorry’.”

Mrs Seymour, 31, who was a television presenter in the pair’s native Australia before moving to England, said she had not known anything was wrong with her husband before the accident.

He is understood to be taking part in a three-week course at the Sporting Chance Clinic, set up by ex-England footballer Tony Adams, to treat his depression.

The former Brisbane and Cronulla player joined Hull from New Zealand Warriors on a three-year deal at the start of last season.

Mrs Seymour revealed that her husband’s suicide attempt brought back memories of her rugby-playing cousin Adam, 19, who took his own life.

Earlier this month Mr Seymour was released from his £130,000 -a-year contract with Hull. Director of rugby Shaun McRae said at the time: “Brett needs to concentrate on important ­aspects of his life, other than rugby league. He leaves Hull FC with our best wishes for the future.”

In a message on Facebook earlier this month, Mr Seymour wrote: “I have been wanting to personally write something to thank you all for your well wishes and support.

“Every one of you have given me inspiration to get better as soon as possible. This has been the hardest challenge of my life but I am determined to beat this as I am heading into Sporting Chance with the help that I need.”

Humberside Police Force is still investigating his car crash, which happened on Sunday, March 3.