Former Rugby Player Nick Koster Died by Suicide
By Priscilla Jepchumba
Nick Koster, a former rugby player for Bristol and Bath, tragically took his own life while he was on leave from a mental health hospital where he had voluntarily sought treatment, according to an inquest.
Köster made his debut in the Currie Cup at the age of 19, playing as the 8th man in 2008. He was then selected as a substitute for the Barbarians team to play against Australia at Wembley later that year.
In October 2012, it was announced that he would be joining Bath. He scored his first try for his new club against the Italian team Calvisano in the Amlin Challenge Cup.
Köster joined Bristol on a season-long loan in August 2013 and eventually earned a permanent contract with them, helping the team secure promotion to the Aviva Premiership in 2016.
Before the 2017/18 Aviva Premiership season, Koster was one of several players released by Bristol. Köster passed away on 12 July 2023, at the age of 34, due to suicide while receiving mental health treatment in Norfolk.
Mental health nurse Charles Mwangi mentioned that there were no signs indicating that he was suicidal or that his mental health had deteriorated. Koster had said, "See you in a bit," smiled, and left.
Koster was found dead hours later after he failed to return by an agreed time of 4.30 pm, having left the site at about 2.30 pm.
The medical examiner stated that there was insufficient evidence to verify Koster's activities following his final phone conversation with his father at 3:47 p.m.
She noted that during the call, they discussed "traveling to South Africa" and that Koster's father could hear traffic in the background. Koster informed his father that he was heading to Attleborough to purchase snacks.
The athlete, who had made 62 appearances for Bristol between 2013 and 2017 after joining them following a short stint with Bath, had been an "informal patient" at Priory Hospital Norwich.
Samantha Goward, the coroner responsible for the Norfolk area, mentioned that Koster had the option to leave but was following an agreed-upon care plan.
In her final summary, she mentioned that Koster passed away as a result of purposeful action, but his intentions were unclear and may have been influenced by his underlying condition.
