All Blacks legend tackling mental health head on

HONG KONG - John Kirwan broke one of rugby's biggest taboos when he revealed his battle with depression, but the All Blacks legend believes modern athletes are under more mental pressure than ever in the commercial era.

Flying wing Kirwan played in the twilight of rugby union's amateur age - including with New Zealand during its blitz of the 1987 World Cup and four-year undefeated streak - at a time when sports psychologists were non-existent and players were freely "self-medicating" with alcohol.

But Kirwan, the author of two memoirs about fighting his own inner demons, said seismic changes to the sport from the mid-1990s have burdened athletes in new ways.