Joe Heyes

Joe Heyes

From England Rugby Podcast: O2 Inside Line by England Rugby

February 17, 2026 · 27 min · Season 17 · Episode 2

About this episode

Joe Heyes discusses his personal challenges and journey in rugby, including family influences and mental health.

From cognitive behavioral therapy, to body confidence issues and a night that resulted in him being arrested, Joe Heyes has had more hurdles than most to overcome off the pitch. The Leicester Tigers' prop talks candidly about his sporting heritage, his grandfather and dad were both professional goalkeepers, while his mum played basketball for Ireland, explains why he left a potential football career and found rugby and the importance of detaching from sport - whether it's his love of history, cooking or gardening. Heyes also opens up on how proud he is of his working class routes and the potential talent pool in state schools, how he struggled with bullying because of his height and weight, and how his pet gecko Albert accidentally joined him in class one day at school. In this podcast you will also hear from Joe's mum Rachel, his Tigers' academy friend Xavier Purcell as well as England team mates Fraser Dingwall and Henry Arundell. FOLLOW: ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/englandrugby/ ▪️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redrosesrugby/ ▪️ X: https://twitter.com/EnglandRugby/ ▪️ X: https://twitter.com/RedRosesRugby/ ▪️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@englandrugby ▪️…

People in this episode

Guest: Joe Heyes

Topics covered

  • mental health
  • sports heritage
  • bullying
  • rugby career
  • personal growth
  • family influence

Keywords

  • cognitive behavioral therapy
  • body confidence
  • bullying
  • rugby
  • Leicester Tigers
  • sports heritage
  • personal growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Leicester Tigers, Ireland

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