A familiar face is bidding so long to Veritas Park. Richard Kitzinger meets physiotherapist Jess Jecketts.

Although Saturday’s game at Leeds was the first of the season, for one member of the Titans set-up it will be the last, at least for the foreseeable future. Physiotherapist Jess Jecketts is heading off on her travels, swapping walking up and down the touchlines of rugby grounds the length of the country for strolls on the beaches of Australia’s Gold Coast.

“On any given match day I can easily cover 15,000 steps, ”says the 27 year-old who has been at TRFC for over three years. Spectators accustomed to seeing her run on to attend to injured players won’t necessarily appreciate everything else that goes into the role. On training days the physios are generally at the club an hour before the session begins, helping players get set up early for training, started on their rehab or perhaps going through SCAT (concussion assessment testing). After training players have something to eat but the physios are on hand in case any have soreness or niggles picked up on the training field.

Similarly, on match days the physio team is there an hour or so early to check all the oxygen, Entonox and trauma management equipment is ready and functioning. They then strap players’ various limbs prior to kick-off and then after the game they check with everyone who has been on the park to see if there is anything that needs assessing or treating. All things considered, be it training or match day, Jess is there for a good couple of hours longer than the session or game lasts – and usually after a full day of work too.

She’s had to make sacrifices in her own sports career. Goodenough to have played in the National Leagues, Jess’ Saturday hockey fell by the wayside in order to work with the Titans. A player-coach at a very young age at Midlands hockey clubs Cannock and Old Silhillians, she was shortlisted for England Hockey Coach of the Year. She’s also played cricket in a club men’s team and, as if that weren’t preparation enough for the testosterone-charged environment of the Titans physio rooms, she has recently won her debut boxing bout.

Growing up in a sporty family – one of her brothers played international hockey – also helped Jess fit in. After graduating, she did some physio work with both football and rugby teams in the Midlands (“footballers tend to milk injuries whereas rugby lads are generally hardier and keener to stay on the field”) and so arrived at Veritas Park fully aware of what to expect. “Working as a female in a professional, male-dominated environment can be challenging, but working with TRFC has been a comfortable and educational experience,” she reflects.

Everything I had heard from the players and coaches about Jess informed me that she is a caring person. You only need to see her on the touchline to see that she cares not only about the players’ welfare but about their performance as she rides the emotional waves of the game. However, since Jess is admirably humble about her ability to create bonds with and earn the respect and trust of the players whilst retaining her professionalism, it’s probably best to look to the club’s senior Physio, Adam Rutter, to pay tribute.

“A large part of Jess’ move from the Midlands was to be with this rugby club so for a young girl to make that commitment is testament to her and the risk she was willing to take. From the outset it was clear she meant business – I asked her to setup some pre-season pre-hab circuits and she took the task completely in her stride and smashed it.” Adam acknowledges her skills as a physiotherapist and then addresses the impact of Jess’ intrapersonal skills.

“Jess has a unique style with the boys. She strikes the perfect balance between having the feminine touch with them which is difficult to get in a masculine-dominated environment but not taking any nonsense at the same time. I know that some of the players feel able to open up with her about injuries and about their mental health and off-field concerns in a way they might not with another physio. They’ll be big old shoes to fill because her banter and personality are so individual to her make-up. As a physio she’s unbelievable, as a person she’s caring and kind. She’s been brilliant. The doors will always be open for her here.”

It worked out well that Rutter was looking for a second physio at Titans at the time that an opportunity to work in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy brought Jess to Somerset. She had a meeting at Weston about doing some work there but was drawn to the set up at TRFC where she liked the professional outlook of the club, the coaching staff and Adam’s physio team. “The standard and quality at Taunton had me thinking, ‘I want to be a part of that.’”

Several seasons later Jess still speaks of TRFC in glowing terms. “It’s like a family. People want to do well for one another. The players work so hard. The coaches work so hard. There’s a bond. It’s more than a club. Everybody does their bit because they respect each other.”

“The promotion season was a standout memory,” says Jess. “It’s a shame we couldn’t celebrate it because of the Covid lockdown. The boys deserved to celebrate it but I was very proud of them. It’s really nice too to see some of the boys picked to play for Chiefs and with Somerset and other counties. It shows the quality of players we have.”

We talk about some of the gruesome injuries she has had to deal with – dislocated shoulders, fractured knees and too many split faces to count – but she is clearly professionally proud when reporting that the physio team has got them all back on the field. She pays tribute to her colleagues Adam, Molly and Lyndon and it’s clear that she has enjoyed working alongside them as much as she has the players. Speaking of whom, not only has Jess been valued by the squad for her work but she’s obviously held in great esteem and affection by them. George Gosling spoke for the group, “Jess has been great to have around the club for the past few years, offering her expertise during training nights and on game days. I really wish Jess all the best.”

Jess has recently completed her Masters studies in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of Exeter, having taken a first class degree in Physiotherapy from Coventry. The end of her academic pursuits seemed like the ideal time to scratch the travel itch and Queensland in Australia is the first port of call. “I love travelling. I’ve been to South Africa, Tanzania, Cuba, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines – that was my favourite. I’m going by myself this time. I’ve got my ‘big girl’s pants on’ but you just meet people when you’re away from home. You have to. Maybe you only spend a few days with them and then you move on in different directions but they make the trip. It’s like when I moved to Somerset. I didn’t know anyone here but I’ve made so many friends now including players and supporters from TRFC.”

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