This is our third year working with Function Jigsaw on Robbie’s Rugby Festival and we couldn’t imagine doing it without them, writes festival organiser Georgie Fowle.
From our first ever meeting over a coffee in Starbucks years ago, we knew we wanted and needed them involved in our festival which raises life-changing funds for two amazing cancer charities.
The FJ team are a friendly bunch, they are hardworking, thorough, caring, professional and always go the extra mile. They really do make our lives, as organisers, a lot easier!
On the day, they cover everything from pitch-side medial provision to sports massages; all of which are so important in making the tournament run smoothly. Robbie’s Rugby Festival only has the reputation it does due to the people involved putting 100 per cent into making it the best event to date – and the FJ gang certainly deliver on this.
Pitch-side sports therapists have become vital as RRF has grown and the number of participants has increased. We now have over 500 rugby players involved, and they are all at different fitness levels.
Knowing we have experienced therapists on hand, who are used to working in a rugby environment, is so important to both us, and the players. Due to the amount of injuries we get it is also vital that the therapists can work closely with our paramedics, and this is something FJ do so well.
There were 10 concussions at last year’s event
From icing, strapping and concussions, the team really do deal with it all throughout the day (and it isn’t a short one). On top of that, they also assist us with the administration side; ensuring all players details are collected.
They also provide sports massages to all players and all guests. Hysterically, last year, the mums of both myself and fellow organiser Georgie, went for a massage because their backs has been playing up after a few hard hours work on the BBQ. FJ are not just there for the players!
But the players always welcome a massage, especially those who haven’t played rugby in years!
To give you an idea of what they deal with, last year we had 10 concussions, a broken ankle, a popped AC joint, a broken collar bone, a rib injury and several dodgy knees and shoulders! On top of those injuries, over the course of the day, they saw over 150 players.
Player injuries are always one of the biggest worries when we run this event but having FJ on board definitely makes the worrying less of a problem. They have also given us a greater standing as a rugby tournament through having them as a partner, and for that we are very appreciative.
Long may the partnership continue.
Read more: Why we love working at Robbie’s Rugby Festival
Read more: How seriously is your sports team taking the threat of concussion?
