Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Welsh Rugby Union
  • 23/10/2024
Transcript
00:00Hi, I'm Jo Perkins, Head Physio for the Women's National Rugby Squad.
00:08So as well as your rugby and training days, there are certain other factors you need to
00:11consider as a female athlete that are going to get you playing and training at your best.
00:16So number one, understanding what it is to be a female.
00:19So understanding your body parts, knowing what they're called, knowing what feels normal
00:23for you and your physiology, and that includes things around your menstrual cycle.
00:27And knowing that, then we can understand when things aren't going right and when we
00:30can intervene.
00:32Number two, tracking your menstrual cycle.
00:34It's a really important sign of health that you have a period every month, unless you're
00:38either on contraception or you're pregnant.
00:40Having a regular period is a really important sign of health, so if you're not having one
00:44for over three months, it's important that you go and see your GP.
00:47Equally, a period should be mild and manageable, so if you're having symptoms that mean you're
00:52not able to train and it's affecting your day-to-day life, again, it's really important
00:55to go and see your GP, as these can be important signs of something else going on, such as
00:59endometriosis.
01:01So tracking your cycle every month means that we can see what your symptoms are, if you
01:04have any, which are good, I mean, you're feeling good, I mean, you can push yourself a little
01:08bit more, but which are affecting your day-to-day and ones that we need to intervene on.
01:13Number three is your breast health.
01:15So we know that in rugby, contact sports, breast injuries and breast pain are really
01:20common.
01:21So make sure you get a bra that is giving you sufficient comfort, it's limiting your
01:25breast motion, and it's got enough padding in, it's going to make you feel strong, confident
01:29going into contact.
01:31Number four is your pelvic health.
01:32Unfortunately, we know that there's a large percentage of female athletes, particularly
01:36in rugby, that are leaking when they're playing, and it's something that we absolutely shouldn't
01:40be putting up with.
01:41So again, head over to our pelvic health section, which will give you some advice and tips on
01:45how to manage your pelvic floor, but again, it's important that you seek some help if
01:49you're having those symptoms.
01:51And finally, female-specific injury prevention.
01:53We know as females, we're four to six times more likely than our male counterparts to
01:57have an ACL injury, and we also know that female injury prevention programs are really
02:01effective in minimising this risk.
02:03So making sure you are doing your strength work, your conditioning work, and movement
02:08preparation work, which we'll talk more about in our injury prevention section.