'I've had more than my fair share of abuse' Rugby player Jacob Stockdale dealt with online trolls swiftly

After more than a decade as a professional rugby player, Jacob Stockdale has navigated plenty of ups and downs.

Over his career, which has seen him line out for Ulster more than 100 times and play for his country, the dad-of-two has also had to deal with plenty of abuse online.

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Speaking with EVOKE as Bank Of Ireland announced new five-year extensions of its sponsorships of the four Irish Rugby provinces, Jacob said: ‘I’d say I’ve had more than my fair share of internet abuse. It’s ranged from just saying “you haven’t played well” and that sort of thing to people messaging directly telling you to kill yourself.

Jacob Stockdale during an Ireland rugby squad training session at the IRFU High Performance Centre in March 2024. Pic: Sportsfile

‘Social media brings so many brilliant things into our world, but it also means that people have a direct line to you and that’s just something that you have to deal with. The way that I’ve dealt with it is that I’ve actually got off social media. I’m not on Twitter and I have Instagram, but I don’t have the app on my phone.’

Explaining further, Jacob continued: ‘I find that that’s the best way to deal with it for me. It’s tough to get off it, but it’s funny because after a couple of weeks, I found that I didn’t really miss it.

Jacob Stockdale and his wife Hannah. Pic: Jacob Stockdale / Instagram

‘I always use the analogy that I’m an expert in my field, which is rugby, and I wouldn’t walk down the street asking randomers what they thought if I had a medical emergency because they’re not experts, and it’s the same with rugby. I am an expert, and the vast majority of the people who comment are not experts and they don’t know to a certain degree what they’re talking about.

Bank of Ireland announces new five-year extensions of its Sponsorships of the Four Irish Rugby Provinces. Pic: INPHO

‘It’s just remembering that my opinion and the opinion of the people that I value is more important [than what is sent online]. It’s been brilliant for me to be honest [getting off social media], it’s been really good to just get out of that cycle.’

One person who has helped Jacob navigate all of the highs and lows that being a sportsman entails is his wife Hannah.

‘Hannah’s my biggest supporter. She’s just incredible,’ Jacob said. The couple recently welcomed their second daughter Bonnie, a little sister for Phoebe, meaning they now have two under two and life is certainly busy at the moment.

Jacob Stockdale and his wife Hannah. Pic: Jacob Stockdale / Instagram

Jacob said: ‘I have to give a lot of credit to my wife, more than anything, because with rugby you are away from home a lot and you don’t have a set schedule from week to week. Hannah’s been brilliant in terms of picking up the slack. She’s just brilliant.’

Being a husband and dad is also how Jacob manages to switch off from sport and keep his work and home life separate.

Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale with his wife Hannah and their daughter Phoebe (4 weeks old) in 2022. Pic: INPHO

He said: ‘I think I’ve gotten pretty good at separating family life from rugby and I think in fairness, maybe having a family helps you do that because when I come home after playing, winning or losing, my children don’t care if I’ve won a game or lost a game.

‘You just have to go home and be dad, which is the best way to get over a game and it’s the best way to be distracted from it. I find that it’s pretty easy to separate family life from professional life and just be dad when I get through the door.’

Bank of Ireland has announced new five-year extensions of its Sponsorships of the Four Irish Rugby Provinces. Pic: INPHO

Bank of Ireland’s sponsorship of the four Irish Rugby provinces will now run until 2028 with Bank of Ireland also building on its support for Women’s rugby. In addition to its current sponsorship of the Connacht, Leinster, and Irish Women’s sides, Bank of Ireland will now also sponsor both the Munster and Ulster Women’s teams.

The new agreements represent the most comprehensive sponsorship of Men’s and Women’s sport in Ireland. They see Bank of Ireland broaden its support from the grassroots, schools and clubs right up to the Provincial and Ireland Men’s and Women’s teams – representing a significant investment by the Bank in ensuring that rugby continues to thrive all over the island of Ireland.

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