PAGE 5
FEATURE ARTICLE
Celebrating Success: 100+ Roland Jeffery, MHSc (Physio), PGD (Manip), PGC (Acup), MPNZ Consultant Physiotherapist Late last year SEPNZ member Roland Jeffery clocked up 100 'A' Internationals as the Team Physiotherapist with the All Whites (New Zealand Football's Senior Men's team). We wanted to celebrate this achievement as those numbers do not include friendlies, age group games or games covering the Football Ferns (New Zealand Football's Senior Women's team). At the end of 2019, SEPNZ Exec member Justin Lopes caught up with Roland to have a chat about what has made him so successful in the role over the last 15 years. **Disclaimer: Justin worked with Roland at Roland Jeffery Sport Physiotherapy and NZ Football. The following is an abridged version of an interview Justin had with Roland shortly after he was awarded his 100. JL: Roland, congratulations on your 100+ A Internationals. Why did you want to become a Physio? RJ: I had never had Physio but, as a teenager when I was at school, it was something I looked into with the career officer. I looked through manuals and decided to become a Physio because it was dealing with sports, but also dealing with people, and helping people, so I felt that was where I wanted to go. I think I was pretty lucky to fall into the right profession for me! JL: So you studied through AUT? RJ: Yip, went straight from school to AUT, and started just after my 18th birthday. I completed undergraduate study in 1994…we were the first fouryear degree to run. Then I worked in a hospital in Whakatane for 18 months before coming back up to Auckland to work in private practice in Point Chevalier. Then I went overseas for four years, came back and did my Post Graduate study after about seven years.
JL: Had you been working in football at that stage or with other sports? RJ: When I was in private practice, I had been working with rugby league and rugby, but I had played football as a young boy and had a passion for it. I had coached football while I was playing rugby and had done a few games here and there for football. When I returned from England to Auckland in 2000, I was approached by my local football club (Glenfield Rovers) to provide services for their club and First Team, and that's when I fell into it. JL: Had you started your clinic (Roland Jeffery Sport Physiotherapy) at that time? RJ: I had started my clinic at that time, and I contracted to Glenfield Rovers, it all started at once…73 Chartwell in 2001 and moved to 22 Chartwell in 2004. I think you came on board in 2004/2005! JL: Good times! How did you get involved with New Zealand Football? RJ: I had worked at Glenfield Rovers with their First Team and through the Chairman of the club (Glen Read), United Soccer 1 which is now Northern Football Federation (NFF). Keith Pritchett needed a CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >>
