Life as a Sports Therapist - Rugby vs Ice Hockey

Do you think anybody has ever combined the two sports together before? That's what I'm wondering.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a therapist in both rugby and ice hockey? Kathryn Deverson (@cardiff.chiro) has done it all—treating sprained ankles on the pitch and high-speed impacts on the ice.

In this blog, we’ll dive into her unique journey, the challenges of switching sports, and what it really takes to keep athletes in top shape as a therapist. Let's do this...

Kathryn's one of those people who somehow keeps a cool head when everyone else is falling apart. She's a sports chiro, a clinic boss, and the head of medical for the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team—so yeah, she’s got a fair bit going on.

Before trading muddy pitches for ice rinks, Kathryn was the lead therapist at Pontypridd RFC. Four years of patching up bodies, dodging stray boots, and juggling the chaos of semi-pro rugby taught her how to be resourceful, sharp, and endlessly patient. She’s worked with athletes who’ve got full-time jobs and full-on injuries—and she knows exactly how to manage both.

We've known Kathryn for a while now and she's appeared in a lot of our taping content that you've probably seen on our socials. Her move from rugby to ice hockey has been anything but boring, and in this blog, she lifts the lid on the weirdest injuries, biggest surprises, and what it’s really like being the go-to fixer in two totally different sports.

Switching from rugby to ice hockey might sound like swapping one bruising sport for another—and in a lot of ways, it is. But according to Kathryn, it’s also a whole new world.

In rugby, it was all about taped-up ankles, hamstring tears, shoulder carnage, and the occasional flying elbow to the head. Tape? Essential. Players would basically roll into the treatment room asking to be mummified—ankles, thumbs, knees, shoulders, you name it. It was physical, muddy, and if you were lucky, only slightly raining.

Ice hockey, though? It’s chaos on skates. It’s faster, harder-hitting, and throws up a completely different set of challenges. Cuts to the face, puck-shaped bruises, and upper-body injuries are the norm. Ankles aren’t taped because skates do the job, so therapists are more likely strapping wrists, fingers, and shoulders instead. Kathryn described it best: “an entirely different beast.”

And it’s not just the injuries that change—the whole vibe does too. Rugby is loud, loose, and full of characters. You’re one of the squad. In ice hockey, things are a bit more intense. There’s music pumping, everyone’s locked in, and the dressing room culture is a touch more private.

Different energy, same job: keep people in one piece.

Well, the jobs may sound similar on paper, but the reality between semi-pro rugby and elite ice hockey really is night and day.

As a rugby therapist, Kathryn was juggling rehab plans with players’ 9-to-5 jobs and the fact that most of them couldn’t just “pop in for a scan.” Resources were limited, schedules were tight, and treatments had to fit around real life. It was all about being creative, scrappy, and endlessly adaptable. Oh, and once again, doing it all in the pouring rain, obviously.

Fast forward to being a professional ice hockey therapist and suddenly, there’s access to surgeons, sports docs, scans-on-demand, and even a hyperbaric chamber. Players don’t have to dash off to a day job after rehab—so what Kathryn says, goes. The pressure’s higher, the squad is smaller, and every injury has a bigger impact. But with the right tools and time, the results can be game-changing.

At the heart of it all? People. Whether it’s helping a player push through rehab or deciding mid-game if someone can carry on, it all comes down to trust, clear communication, and staying one step ahead.

If you’re a student or fresh-faced sports therapist dreaming of ice hockey, Kathryn’s advice is simple: don’t wait for the “perfect” job to land in your lap—just get stuck in. Rugby, football, even the local Sunday league team—every bit of hands-on therapist experience counts. It’s not about the badge on the shirt, it’s about learning to think on your feet, adapt under pressure, and actually talk to athletes.

But here’s the real game-changer: people. Kathryn credits almost every big opportunity in her career to connections she made just by saying yes to things—whether that was working with Surf Life Saving in Australia or jumping into ice hockey having only watched one game. Turns out, sport therapy is a surprisingly small world, and your next big break might be one conversation away.

Her tip? Keep learning, keep showing up, and never underestimate where a “fancy grabbing a coffee?” might lead.