A sports rehabilitation graduate from Liverpool Hope University has landed a job with a leading Rugby League club in the North West.
Libby Hall has been appointed Sports Injury Therapist at Woolston Rovers, who play in the National Conference League – the highest level of amateur rugby league in the UK.
Based in Warrington, Woolston is one of the most decorated amateur clubs in the country and Libby is working with them at training sessions and on matchdays to treat injuries, deliver sports massage and work on injury prevention.
The 21-year-old, who has worked with the Club throughout the 2023 season, secured the role prior to graduating with a First class honours degree in July and has since begun a second job as a Sports Therapist at Summit Physiotherapy Clinic in Wrightington, West Lancashire.
“I have enjoyed playing sports since I was young and have always wanted to be a sports therapist, so to have secured two jobs in the industry is amazing,” said Libby.
“I picked up a lot of injuries when I was playing which is what motivated me to become a sports therapist because I wanted to help amateur or semi-professional athletes who may not get referred to the hospital due to having a less severe injury.
“There is nothing better than working in a job you enjoy and I feel very fortunate to have studied at Liverpool Hope.
“I’ve benefited from some brilliant placements, the staff have all been really helpful and the whole experience has been good.”
As part of the BSc (Hons) Sport Rehabilitation degree, Libby was required to complete a minimum of 400 hours of clinical placement.
This led to the Whitley Bay student working in a professional sports setting, initially with Newcastle Thunder Rugby League Club, who play in the Betfred Championship and latterly with the Italian team at the 2022 Rugby League World Cup.
Alongside this, Libby undertook a placement at Escape Pain, a rehabilitation programme for people with chronic joint pain, as well as working at Mold Rugby Club and at the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament.
She also had the opportunity to engage in a research scholarship, taking part in a project investigating how different taping protocols impacted lateral ankle sprains in netball players.
“My placements have helped massively,” Libby added.
“All of them increased my confidence and allowed me to see how different organisations operate in different settings, which was really valuable.
“I don’t think I would have got these jobs without those experiences because of the variety of the placements and also how good they were, particularly with two of them being with professional sports teams.
“That was an incredible experience and I loved every second of it.”