Wooldridge struggled with mental health
Bates said Wooldridge had battled at times with his mental health, but the news left everyone "just gut-wrenched".
"Really can't believe it, it's something that most of us didn't see it coming," he said.
"Stephen is so well loved and liked by so many. He's got no idea how much effect he's had on people."
Former Olympian Gearoid Towey, the founder of Crossing the Line, which supports athletes transitioning from professional sport, said Wooldridge's death was "devastating for the sporting community".
"It's one that happens not regularly, but it happens from time to time," he said.
"It just shows you that the athlete community are just as vulnerable to mental health problems as the general population."
The death of Wooldridge came just months after former Wallaby Dan Vickerman took his own life, sparking a broader conversation on mental health among the elite sporting community.
Bates said Wooldridge had battled at times with his mental health, but the news left everyone "just gut-wrenched".
"Really can't believe it, it's something that most of us didn't see it coming," he said.
"Stephen is so well loved and liked by so many. He's got no idea how much effect he's had on people."
Former Olympian Gearoid Towey, the founder of Crossing the Line, which supports athletes transitioning from professional sport, said Wooldridge's death was "devastating for the sporting community".
"It's one that happens not regularly, but it happens from time to time," he said.
"It just shows you that the athlete community are just as vulnerable to mental health problems as the general population."
The death of Wooldridge came just months after former Wallaby Dan Vickerman took his own life, sparking a broader conversation on mental health among the elite sporting community.