One of the core values at Railway is fostering the health and well-being of our players and placing their physical and mental health above all other considerations.
Ensuring our players’ fitness and health are maintained during their rugby careers at Railway is important to us and that this is approached as professionally as possible.
To this end, we have a very strong and active Player Welfare team. Indeed, the Head of Player Welfare at Railway has the final call on availability of players for selection for any team in Railway, overriding the player, coaches and the Director of Rugby.
Player Welfare is a key part of modern Rugby Union and, as a distinct entity, its value has only become recognised in recent times not only in professional rugby but in all progressive clubs.
The Player Welfare team has responsibility for addressing all aspects to do with the physical, psychological and personal well-being of the club’s players and this can be sub-divided under three headings: Preparation, Match Day Requirements and Post-Match Day Requirements.
Functional Screening and Strength & Conditioning training are an essential element also and our S&C coaches are part of our Player Welfare team.
This consists of delivering injury and illness prevention lectures for players/coaches/management, conducting entry medicals for new players, screening of ‘at risk’ players, nutrition and hygiene advice, use of early warning questionnaires to identify over-training/potential for injury, maintaining injury/illness databases to monitor trends and alert staff to the need to make appropriate interventions in training, planning fixtures, pre-season and in-season, which are player welfare-friendly, monitoring Strength and Conditioning, and ensuring the club adheres to World Rugby and IRFU guidelines on player welfare and injury-specific management.
The Match Day requirements include ensuring a match day medical team is in place and that they have the equipment to ensure the match day requirements for players are provided.
The Post-Match Day requirements include generating referral pathways for post-match care (acute/emergency, advanced diagnostics such as CT/MRI/Ultrasound, secondary chronic and continuing care), providing weekly medicals to monitor player injuries and provide feedback to club coaches and the Director of Rugby on the availability, or likelihood of same, of injured players for selection.
Functional strength and adequate conditioning is a key element in any successful rugby team and the Player Welfare team are responsible for functional strength analysis and conditioning for all Railway teams. This is an area that receives much focus in the professional game.
The functional screening programme helps to identify areas of potential weakness relevant to rugby and where remedial work is needed. By working on this with our players, the Player Welfare team prepare programs to make them ‘functionally strong’ to play rugby. This makes them makes them better players and helps them avoid injury.
This process starts with a full functional assessment to identify areas of potential weakness. A functional strength program is devised, either team, position of player-specific depending on the result of the functional assessment. This will include the best exercises based on skill levels to avoid injury, maximize gains, and ensure each player is optimally trained to unlock potential.
Monitoring and re-testing takes place during the season.
We have fully functional 1,100 sq metre S&C facility on-site available to players and our S&C coaches plan player and team specific sessions to develop strength and conditioning in our players to enable them to compete at as high a level as possible.
Railway Union RFC retains insurance cover for players under the IRFU Player Insurance Scheme.
This scheme covers club players for catastrophic injury only e.g. loss of limb, permanent disablement, etc. The policy does not cover loss of earnings, medical expenses, accident and emergency visits or dental repair. It is the duty of all players or parents/guardians of players to consider and investigate their insurance options.
Railway recommends that players are covered by medical insurance from a recognised private medical insurer.
Whilst the club provides a strong and active player welfare committee, this does not extend to financial support for medical bills. Rugby is a collision sport and regrettably injuries can occur.
Supplementary insurance cover is available through the IRFU’s broker, AON Insurance (01 2666400). More information can be found on the IRFU’s website (https://www.irishrugby.ie/running-your-club/insurance/).
Alternatively you can contact your own broker / insurance company for details of additional cover.
Should a player or parent/guardian of a player wish to take out this cover, this will be a separate arrangement between the player and the provider and Railway will be an independent party.