Rachel Lund: The rugby star tackling taboos and researching female health
Rachel Lund’s rugby journey began at the age of six when she first stepped onto the field for Malton & Norton RUFC in North Yorkshire. Little did she know that this early start would pave the way for a remarkable career that transcends the boundaries of sports into the realm of healthcare advocacy.
Graduating from the University of Worcester with a degree in Sports Therapy in 2013, Lund wasted no time in making her mark in the rugby world. Joining Worcester Ladies in the Premiership, she showcased her skills as a formidable player, earning recognition both nationally and internationally.
In the 2014-15 season, Lund’s talent propelled her to represent England U20s at fullback. Subsequently, she received the coveted England Senior cap during a tour in Canada in 2015 and was selected as an EPS player for the 2015-16 season, solidifying her position as a top-tier athlete.
Transitioning seamlessly from player to professional, Lund embarked on a full-time role as an Academy Sports Therapist at Hartpury College after completing her studies. This move led her to sign with Gloucester-Hartpury in 2017, where she continues to excel on the field while pursuing her passion for physiotherapy.
Currently undertaking a Master’s in Physiotherapy, Lund embodies the epitome of dedication as she balances her academic pursuits with her rugby commitments at Gloucester-Hartpury.
Yet, her contributions extend far beyond the pitch as she devotes herself to a full-time role as an NHS physiotherapist, advocating for female health both on and off the field. She spoke to RugbyPass about her experiences of balancing rugby life and research studies.
“I think they kind of come hand in hand really in terms of my professional background and, initially being a sports therapist and then more recently a physio. A lot of girls at the club are often asking questions and, obviously not throwing out any medical advice at people but, in terms of trying to promote more conversation and advocate for these girls, players and fellow teammates to go and get help or support.
“What I do professionally really compliments what I do in a sporting context and I think it’s brilliant. I do what I do professionally because I really like helping people and my teammates and being able to spread education and raise awareness is great.”
Lund’s commitment to female health culminated in her groundbreaking research on stress urinary incontinence in female rugby players. Motivated by the lack of attention given to women’s health issues in sports, she set out to address the silence surrounding this crucial topic.
“It was interesting to me because looking back on it I didn’t necessarily think I was going to do the research in female rugby but, thinking about it I sit in quite a unique position as a player myself.
“When I got the idea of looking into this I became really motivated because I’ve played in the league for over ten years now. I’ve had a lot of fellow teammates be quite open, whether it happens in a training session or a gym session they just kind of come out with it and that happened to quite a few players.
“I know that many people may potentially find it quite an embarrassing or taboo subject that actually showed me how many people there are who aren’t confident enough to speak out about this subject in a more public sphere.
“I imagined my hypothesis of it was that it was actually going to be quite a prevalent issue within the league in that demographic of people, I kind of seized the opportunity as player to utilise the access I had to that kind of population, but also I had a personal interest in it as one of the demographics if you will in terms of elite female rugby players within England.”
Through an anonymous online survey, Lund gathered responses from 112 female rugby players, revealing a startling statistic; 62.5% of respondents reported experiencing stress incontinence. This finding underscored the urgent need for awareness and support within the rugby community.
“I was really thankful for the response I got with the online questionnaire and survey. Of the 112, 62.5% reported that they actually experienced stress incontinence.
“If you actually work out the maths in terms of how many players in the league there are and how many actually responded to my questionnaire it’s approximately 17 or at least 17.5% of the league experience stress incontinence. Which is quite a high proportion for a league sport in terms of the UK.
“I wanted to address how much of a problem it was but also the knowledge people had around this subject and obviously the impact it had on them. It definitely was or is a problem and a lot of them didn’t understand why it happened.
“They had no knowledge as to why it happened and just over half of them never actually discussed the topic itself. Many reported it had quite a negative impact on them. It was super interesting to research and like I say I’m quite proud of it.
“I’m in the process of trying to get it published as a research article. I’m happy about the research itself, it’s very meaningful and I think the findings are interesting and impactful.”
Moreover, Lund’s research shed light on the detrimental impact of stress incontinence on players’ physical and psychological well-being. Many players confessed to altering their hydration and training routines, illustrating the profound repercussions of untreated health issues on athletic performance.
Armed with her findings, Lund aims to initiate a paradigm shift in the sports landscape by disseminating her research to women’s rugby clubs. By fostering understanding and advocating for better facilities and support systems, she hopes to effect positive change and empower female athletes to prioritise their health.
“I knew a few players who were open about it but, when I asked that question to the survey the majority of people didn’t actually discuss it with anybody and they were least likely to actually discuss it with a physiotherapist team doctor, people with expertise etc.
“To be able to help and signpost them to the relevant help is something I want to do. What I think the biggest thing that is associated with this is it’s just something that happens and, it’s something that you can’t do anything about. What I want to keep in mind and get across in this study is that there are things you can do.
“Lots of people said it had a negative impact on them. Regarding their impact on the sport themselves, some people were actually drinking less water which from a performance point of view is significant.
“Some people weren’t lifting as heavy in the gym and overall, people generally thought it was having a negative impact. I think that’s significant when you talk about elite sport and semi-professional.
“Some of those girls are professional athletes and I think that we talk about those one percenters in your sport in your field and I think with something like this I’m fairly confident that something like this is going to naturally have quite an impact on you, from what my research suggested. From some of the questions I asked it did seem to have a fairly big impact on the players.”
Beyond the immediate impact on the rugby community, Lund’s research serves as a catalyst for broader conversations about gender inequality in healthcare research. Through her work, she strives to elevate the visibility of female health issues and challenge the prevailing norms that prioritise male-centric research.
“I think generally one of the easiest things that has already happened from when I was collecting the data again, being fortunate enough as a player to have connections. The biggest thing I’ve found already is the fact that it raises awareness of the subject.
“When I was collecting this data, this time last year, the number of girls that used to come up to me after a game or the players I played against would come up to me asking for a chat about it saying ‘You’re the girl that’s looking into stress incontinence in sport, it’s something I never knew other people experienced.’
“They just reached out and said how grateful they were. I think generally raising awareness of it is amazing but, more broadly just raising awareness of female health research and the fact that there’s a massive inequality in the research in terms of male vs female health research.”
Lund is not only a formidable athlete but also a compassionate advocate for female health. As she continues to break barriers and tackle taboos, her journey exemplifies the transformative power of sports in driving meaningful change.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
63 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
63 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
63 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
63 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
63 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
63 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
63 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
63 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
63 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
63 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
63 Go to comments