Ospreys’ Bowen on the challenges and joys of physio life
"I come from a small village called Login," says Mathew Bowen, a leading member of the Ospreys medical team. "Nobody believes me that the place exists!"
After a long consultation with Google, Login appears to be a real village after all: in Carmarthenshire, with a colourful history that includes harbouring some of the famous Rebecca Riots protesters.
Bowen, 28, now lives in Cardiff, but his West Walian roots remain strong. “My grandmother and grandfather were farmers in St Clears, and I grew up there from the age of ten until I went to college.”
At Ysgol Bro Myrddin, Bowen was in the same class as Wales and Saracens scrum-half Aled Davies, and both played for Whitland. But in his late teens, Bowen realized he was more proficient with a football.
In fact, it was through football that he got his first experience of elite sport. “After graduating from Cardiff University in 2013, I got a part-time job with Cardiff City,” says Bowen, who had previously worked on a placement with the Bluebirds. “That was my way into sport.”
When he wasn’t with City, he was working within the physio department of the NHS. During this time there was a return to rugby with the Ospreys youth teams, as well as a head physio role at Swansea rugby club. City would end up calling for him again, for a six-month spell, before the Ospreys came back to him with the offer a full-time job.
His time working as a physio in the NHS was hugely beneficial, says Bowen, whose official title is ‘Head of Return to Play’. “I really enjoyed it. It’s different from sports physio but it gave me a good foundation to learn new skills from. One difference between that work and what I do now is that you only see patients for about half an hour in hospital, whilst you get a lot more time working with rugby players. But expectations may be the main difference between the two.”
He agrees that an element of trust is necessary between the physio and the player. “There definitely needs to be a good working relationship there,” says Bowen. “It takes a little while to earn that trust, but once you get to know each other things become more comfortable. I’ve been with the Ospreys for five years now, so relationships are good.”
Applications for sports physiotherapy courses are on the rise, and Bowen can see why – although he strikes a pragmatic note. “The job is very rewarding, but it’s very difficult in terms of the long hours, expectations and pressure on your shoulders. However, the cool thing about being a physio with a rugby team is that you are part of everything that happens.”
All the emotions that make up life in a rugby team – the successes and the misfortunes – Bowen has felt them all. “When I started with the Ospreys the team was around the top of the league, then we had a little slump, but now we’ve turned a corner. It’s amazing to be part of that process.”
Game day is where everything comes to life, according to Bowen. “You feel part of the whole day, which can be special. You’re the last to leave the changing rooms before the players, giving them the last-minute treatment they may need; then you are right there on the touchline. I’ve been hit by the ball, and by players, a few times!”
What advice would he give to someone who wants to get into sports physiotherapy? “You have to give up a lot of your time to do this job, especially when you’re trying to break into the profession. At one point I held down five jobs in order to find the ideal one, but once you’ve got your foot in the door, it’s a great environment to be in.
“As I said, the hours are long, but a lot depends on the preference of the head coach. I’ve worked with a few of them now: some like long days, some like short days. Regardless, you are the first in and the last out.” And the work doesn’t stop once he leaves Llandarcy. “My wife, Becs, is used to my phone ringing at all hours!”
Hailing from a small village in West Wales, it’s no surprise that Bowen is a proud Welshman – and the language is an important component of that. “I grew up speaking Welsh with my family, and I always see it as something special,” he explains. “I speak Welsh with many of the players and staff [including Aled Griffiths, Ospreys’ analyst], and you can have a good relationship with people through doing that. In fact, the connection is already there when you can speak the language.”
This article is adapted from the Welsh-language #CymryCymraeg series.
