Culture of fear Time to look beyond toxic win-at-all-costs approaches

Danny Care's stories about the England rugby environment under Eddie Jones reveal important insights into the ways that sport is experienced, organised and led.

- Cath Bishop

Beyond the shocking examples of belittling and bullying that he alleges, a picture emerges of an ongoing, highly damaging cultural illiteracy among players, coaches and leaders.

It's striking how hard it was for Care and his teammates to speak up, for 100kg men bursting with muscles in the most macho of sports to call out what, according to Care, they saw as abusive behaviour that demeaned and damaged players.

A cult-like code of silence has played out disastrously in other sports such as gymnastics and cycling; it feels as if there is still a sinister omertà latent in sport that needs addressing.

Speaking up is an essential component of "psychological safety", proven to be crucial to high-performing teams.

We need a new generation of informed leaders and coaches who understand how to approach the challenge of creating sufficient psychological safety for an athlete to thrive within an environment characterised by uncertainty, constant testing and ever higher standards.

Care's stories highlight what appears a gross imbalance of power between coach and athlete (and other staff) under Jones.

In competitive sport, selection is the all-powerful currency - if that sits in the hands of a coach unchecked, then long-term performance and wellbeing suffer.

In the atmosphere of fear and paranoia that Care describes, challenging the coach becomes unthinkable.

If no one else is open to listening, then there's nowhere to go.

In the working world, there are rigorous processes and whistleblowing mechanisms, or you can go and find another company.

But in rugby union there is only one England training centre.