He has had his moments, but for the most part Quade Cooper can handle the abuse, the taunts and the gang-tackle mentality of social media. When you have a profile, it comes with the territory.

Tragically, not everyone can deal with the pressure, even those away from the spotlight. Cooper has made a heartfelt plea to help end online bullying as he mourns the death of a young family member who decided the only escape was to take his life.

On Thursday morning, Australian time, Cooper posted a tweet that said: "RIP young Kopani. As the pain and suffering of the gutless bullies eases may the love of your kind spirit live on #StopBullyingForKopani". He followed it up with a black-and-white image of a baby-faced teen, earphones plugged in and cheekily grinning at the camera. His accompanying tweet read: "Here's the face of a kid who thought the only way to stop the pain was to take his own life. StopBullyingForKopani."