Girls PDG Therapist

Working at the RFU means being part of the ‘bigger picture’ at England Rugby: to be rooted in our purpose, which is to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union and develop the sport for future generations. If our purpose resonates with you, and you recognise the value that sport can bring to people’s lives, we’d love to work with you. An opportunity has arisen for a Girls PDG Therapist to join our Performance Rugby team.

Job Title : Girls PDG Therapist
Department : Performance Rugby    
Reports to : Girls Player Development Group Lead
Direct Reports: England Women U18’s & PDG Medical Lead
Remuneration : Sessional role (£200 per session) plus ‘out of session’ hours for player admin
Location : North East - Northumberland, Durham, Cumbria
Employment Type : Casual Role 

Application Information:

• As this position is subject to a DBS check, applicants are asked not to submit anonymised applications. Full personal and employment details will be required as part of the recruitment and vetting process. 
• The closing date for applications 19th November 2026 at 12:00PM
• Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

The Role:

We are seeking a therapist (chartered physiotherapist, graduate sports rehabilitator, or graduate sports therapist) for the North East PDG as a casual worker. Their role will be to provide medical care (pre-session medical assessment, fitness to train assessment and strapping, pitch side cover during rugby training sessions, immediate management of acute injuries and review of ongoing injuries, post-session handover) during both training sessions and matches and to support player development and player education on the prevention and management of injuries.

Please note there will be approximately 23 sessions with PDG Development Group which will involve certain sessions taking place in school holidays and weekends. Session length will vary but most training sessions will last up to 4 hours.

This role will suit someone who is passionate about the growth of women’s rugby and developing players for the future.

The Team:

The PDG centres are made up of a Lead Coach; Assistant Coach; Medic and Strength and Conditioning coach. Our purpose as a team is inspire and equip athletes to further progress their rugby journeys. As a team we are passionate about player development and developing the whole person.

Responsibilities:

Day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Perform a medical check-in for all players at the beginning of sessions to ensure that they are fit to train/compete and ensure other staff members are aware of any injuries and any required training modifications.
• Provide pre- and post-session treatment and strapping as required.
• Provide pitch side medical care for all pitch-based rugby sessions and fixtures, including maintaining medical equipment and ensuring that it is pitch side during all sessions.
• Review ongoing injuries to assess rehabilitation progress.
• Ensure contemporaneous medical notes are entered onto the electronic medical record system (Intelligence Platform: Performance Medicine) within 24 hours of any medical consultations and that player training status is kept up to date.
• Perform a medical check-out for all players at the end of sessions and communicate any injuries back to the player’s parents/guardians and to their club, school, or college.
• Deliver centrally developed workshops on medically related rugby topics during the scheduled training sessions.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

The skills and attributes outlined in this description are not exhaustive and we welcome candidates who can bring different relevant experiences to the role.

Essential:

• Experience providing pitch side medical care within rugby union or rugby league.
• Qualification as a Chartered Physiotherapist or a Graduate Sports Rehabilitator or a Graduate Sports Therapist.
• Registration with the HCPC for Physiotherapists or with the appropriate professional body for other therapists.
• Professional indemnity to cover pitch side care in Rugby Union (note: if practitioners are providing ongoing care for injuries other than just immediate pitch side care, they must ensure that this is covered by their professional indemnity).
• In-date Level 2 (or Level 3) PHICIS qualification or equivalent pre-hospital immediate care qualification.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, including IT skills.

Desirable: 

• Experience working within Age Grade Girls’ rugby.
• Experience working within a talent development environment.
• Experience of managing musculoskeletal conditions, including diagnosis, acute care and rehabilitation.
• Experience of self-directed work.

Additional Information:

• All role holders must maintain an appropriate standard of confidentiality. Any disclosures of confidential information (including personal information kept on computer or other media) made unlawfully outside the proper course of duty will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence.
• We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If there is anything we could do to support you through your application or to provide the best environment for your interviews, including assistance or adjustment, please reach out to recruitment@rfu.com. 
• During your application, we will ask questions about your identity. This information is considered highly confidential and will not be seen by hiring managers. You can find out more about why we ask these questions here.
• The post holders must demonstrate on-going immunity (or in the case of non-responders, freedom from infection) to hepatitis B and must produce evidence of such. Evidence should be either: a blood test result demonstrating an anti HBs level of > 100 international units per ml or a blood test result demonstrating an anti-HB level of >10-100 international units per ml with evidence of a subsequent booster. In the case of non-responders to vaccination, please supply details of your vaccination history and recently dated blood test evidence of freedom from Hepatitis B infection.
• As part of our safer recruitment practices, the successful candidate will be required to complete a DBS check.