Introduction to our Medical Team
We are fortunate enough at Bedwas RFC to have an experienced and professional medical team. The team comprises of five members namely Gareth Davies, Conor Dunleavy, Abbie Piper, Dave Robertson and GP Alun Edwards.
Dr Alun Edwards has been the resident medic with Bedwas RFC for 15 years, he is a true servant of the club. Working in the village of Bedwas he is well known within the local community. We asked Alun what he enjoys the most working within a Premiership side and what has been his highlight during this time, he says “To see the team do well is a huge part of my enjoyment and the highlight so far has to be Winning the Fosters Cup”. Dr Edwards continues to be a loyal volunteer of Bedwas RFC and we thank him for his commitment and dedication to the team.
Gareth is a Sports Therapist and has considerable experience working within the Premiership and Regional level. In 2004 Gareth was based with Bridgend RFC. He then began working with regional teams Ospreys 2007-2008, Dragons2008-2009 and most recently the Cardiff Blues 2009-2013. Gareth created his own company GTD Sports Therapy in May 2013, based in Bridgend. To find out the services that he provides you can follow the company on social media pages Instagram @GTD SPORTS THERAPY, Twitter @GTDSportsinj and Facebook under GTD Sports Therapy.
We asked Gareth how he felt moving back into a Premiership team after working within different regions for so long, he says “ I have had a few seasons off to concentrate on the business, It has been hard initially to adjust due to the increased criteria, but with the medical staff we have being Conor, Abbie and Dave we have been able to create a good working environment which has enabled us to give full support to the players. Gareth also added “he has worked with a number of Doctors over the years and Alun has been a huge support to his team”.
Conor Dunleavy hails from Ireland and is our Chartered Physiotherapist. Moving to Wales to study at Cardiff University, this is his first role within a semi-professional environment. We asked Conor how he has found working within a Premiership environment, he states “I am enjoying the learning experience it is giving me, whereby I come across acute injuries that I wouldn’t usually see within my 9-5 profession. Conor is employed as an Outpatients Physiotherapist for the NHS and specialises in MSK.
Abbie Piper the only lady within the on field set up is also from Bridgend specialising in Sports Science and Sports Massage which she studied at USW and Neath Port Talbot College. Abbie also works with the Cardiff Devils and manages her own clinic at Rage Fitness, Bridgend. You can check out the services Abbie provides on her Instagram page @AP Sports Massage and Facebook AP Sports Massage Therapy. We asked Abbie how she felt working in a male dominated environment and what she would say to other women who wish to work in this field. Abbie states “Just because you are a female it shouldn’t stop you considering or pursuing a role of your choosing, when I first started at Bedwas RFC I immediately wanted to get myself known to both the staff and the players, to highlight my personality and be pro-active within my role so that everyone could feel comfortable around me which in return would be reciprocated. I am fortunate to work with a genuine group of men at Bedwas who have taken to me being a part of the team very well”.
Bedwas RFC are thrilled to have these members within the medical team and we thank them for their hard work on and off the field.
