Rugby is at the fore of "most" Irish people's minds right now, and if you're a DCU student you probably feel surrounded by it. With the Six Nations coming to an end this weekend, and our DCU Ladies First Team securing their place in the Tier 1 All Ireland Final last night, the passion for rugby keeps growing.

However, for Athletic Therapy and Training student, Caoimhe, rugby was never really a "love" for her, until she began her various work placements for her course. Starting with DCU Men's Rugby, and then getting her final year placement with Connacht Rugby, Caoimhe stepped out of her comfort zone and found an area of sport she never realised she'd love so much.

Athletic Therapy was always on Caoimhe's mind, "I’ve been involved with sports all my life particularly GAA whether it be playing, coaching and refereeing. I’ve always found myself somewhere on a pitch. Having had a long history of injuries myself from a young age I’ve always had an interest in healthcare and particularly wanting to be involved helping those with injuries occurring from sports as I have such extensive experience myself. From being the patient so many times, I wanted to be the person able to help and bring people back to where they once were physically and even better. So by the time the CAO rolled around I was fairly set on what I wanted to do and was lucky enough to find myself in a course that applies to where I have always seen myself working."

And from the very beginning of her course, Caoimhe got straight to work. "I love how hands-on it is right from early on. You are placed pitch side with teams from the beginning of second year and gaining that experience so early into the course is invaluable. It seems so daunting when you begin but what you have to gain in terms of confidence and ability as a clinician from working and treating people at that stage into the course does stand with you as you progress further.

It also is quite an intimate course. With only 21 people in my year, you get to know everyone in the class really well and the lecturers become familiar with each student. This creates a supportive and comfortable learning environment."

From being pitch side at university rugby games from the outset, Caoimhe's setting changed in her final year, from recreational to professional.

"I don’t think I had even watched a rugby game in full prior" to working with the DCU teams! But once she "got to know the sport and the behind the scenes dealing with the players and injuries, I found it so interesting because you are really dealing with anything. The injuries and treatment range come in all sorts head to toe." 

So this is where her "newfound interest" in rugby began and what led her to Connacht!

"Although it wasn’t initially an option, Aoife Burke, who coordinates our placement sites, helped sort out the process. After several discussions, I was able to secure my placement at Connacht Rugby. There was the option to go on placement in Leinster but I was keen to experience a placement outside of Dublin and Connacht really appealed to me due to the nature of the tight knit community they have built with supporters and those involved in the club. They really value their community and due to them being the smallest out of all the provincial teams it does feel like one big family."

Every sport is different, every placement is different, so combining the two meant Caoimhe's days were filled with variety.

The days started “early, having to be on site at 7am most mornings. I was involved with treating all the players from the academy and pro team in the morning by giving them soft tissue massage following their assessments. That would usually be followed by a block of meetings with other members of the team like the strength and conditioning coaches, team coaches, nutrition etc. The players would usually prepare for training, and I would help with strapping or lead players through warmups or rehabilitation in the gym. Everyone would then head out onto the pitch for training. Afterwards players would arrive back up into the medical room for more assessment and treatment and I’d be there to help for whatever was needed. No two days ever looked the same, which is what I loved!

I got to be with the team from the beginning of preseason until the matches started. The change for preseason to match weeks was intense but I loved it. Connacht are also getting a massive amount of work done to the stadium by adding in a huge new stand for supporters and a new high-performance centre. During my time there and still to this day the place is a construction zone. The ability for everyone to work in these conditions and make the most of it was great to see. I also got to work matchdays both in Galway and around the country and seeing the behind the scenes of these big days was surreal. As Connacht is the smallest club, the team working there is very tight, which meant I got to know everyone across the board so well and was always comfortable working alongside everyone. I gained so much knowledge from everyone in all aspects of the club from the medical side, strength and conditioning, coaching, nutrition and so much more!"

Like Caoimhe's working days, no two injuries that she was faced with were the same. As she was constantly improving her own skills, the technologies used for assessments were also developing. With HIA's becoming more prominent and researched in the game, "the World Rugby, which is the governing body for rugby union" were also implementing new mouthguards to "help track how often and how hard head impacts occur during training and matches. They can detect high-impact hits that may cause concussions and require an off-field assessment."

"When these mouthguards landed in Connacht, I as the student was given the task of learning how to use these devices and then looked after them on a daily basis. During a training session I was able to stand pitch side with an iPad and in real time see the impacts the players were obtaining during the session and if a concussion was suspected. If this was the case, World Rugby have a protocol and assessment set in place for the suspected concussion. After a history is taken of what happened to cause the concussion the player usually completes different memory and physical tests. Their results are compared to their baseline results from when they aren’t concussed to determine if a concussion is present. It’s a really interesting area of the sport and I gained so much from taking on this role."

Working in an area that was once completely alien to Caoimhe has completely changed her outlook on the sport. "I can definitely say that my experience at Connacht has me absolutely more invested in the sport. Now that I have a deeper understanding of what happens behind the scenes and a greater knowledge of the game, I find myself watching matches more intently than ever. My focus when watching the game has shifted onto the players and how they move, potential injuries, and the overall dynamics rather than simply watching for enjoyment, for better or for worse. It also is fun seeing people that I got to work alongside and know on the telly and I can say my friends and family are sick of me pointing out everything!"

Although for many the opportunity to be part of these clubs is the exciting part, for our students the memories and self growth during placements like these are the most important moments. "My biggest takeaway was probably realising that I am someone that thrives in chaos. Everyday has a general structure to how it would go but that was always changing. You had to learn to be flexible around the players and their times and trying to fit everything into the day was challenging but I really enjoyed it. This placement also solidified for me that I really enjoy working as part of a team and with a large amount of people in general. For the day to run smoothly, clear and efficient communication was essential, especially with the many different sectors within the club. Learning to collaborate within such a large team and ensuring I fulfilled my role properly was crucial. This experience has been invaluable and is something I will carry into any future job"

And Caoimhe is continuing to carry this attitude into her final semester. Returning back to "normal" university life after an intense yet enjoyable placement can be a bit of a culture shock but with new opportunities to focus on, Caoimhe is ready to take on her next task.

"It is a big change getting used to having the workday routine to jumping back into an academic headspace but after a month or so I was back to normal. Now my main focus for the last semester is the final year project. My final year project is focusing on is there a difference between shoulder strength in rugby players with and without a history of injury. Having seen first-hand the impact and amount of shoulder injuries in rugby this was a topic I was eager to explore."

From both a course and DCU perspective, Caoimhe learned a lot about life by stepping out of her comfort zone and saying yes to the opportunities that came her way.

"When considering this course I would say to everyone to be open minded. I myself only had experience in GAA and a bit in basketball and was intimated to work outside of my comfort zone. I would really recommend immersing yourself in as many opportunities as possible from different sports to different clinical experiences, the more experience the better ! As I said I had no affiliation to rugby prior to my placement in second year and now I have a completely new interest and it has opened a lot of doors for me."

"DCU was the best choice for me. Even though I had loads of other colleges on my CAO now that I am in DCU I could not imagine myself anywhere else! As a native from Dublin the convenience of DCU is great but it’s the people and the campus that really make it so special. Even though I stayed at home for the duration of the course, the placement opportunity allowed me to have the experience of living away from home in Galway and I loved every minute of it. I would highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in healthcare. While a passion for sports is beneficial since there are many opportunities to work in that field, Athletic Therapy extends far beyond just sports injuries. As an Athletic Therapist, your role focuses on the prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of various musculoskeletal injuries, not just those related to athletes. You’re not limited to working in sports; there are opportunities in clinical settings, rehabilitation centres, and even workplace injury management. So even if sports isn’t your primary interest, don’t rule this course out, it offers diverse career paths in healthcare!"

If Caoimhe's experience has inspired you to learn more about the world of Athletic Therapy and Training at DCU, you can find out more at dcu.ie/DC204 or to learn more about the work placement and INTRA opportunities across a range of DCU courses head to dcu.ie/intra/courses-intra

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