Sportsmed Southern Physiotherapy

21/12/2025

Once academy athletes, now part of the support team for the next generation.

This afternoon marked a celebration of 20 years of the ILT Academy Southland and the 260 athletes who have been part of the programme, with Mitch and Anna’s names on the wall alongside some incredibly accomplished people in sport and beyond.

Mitchell was an academy athlete in 2017–2018 for squash, and Anna in 2006–2007 for badminton. Today, both support academy athletes in their roles as physiotherapists at Sportsmed.

We feel incredibly lucky to work with ILT Academy Southland and be part of a system that develops talent, supports people, and leaves a lasting legacy in Southland.

Achieving Southlanders, Inspiring Southlanders

19/12/2025

🎄 Merī Kirihimete from Sportsmed Southern Physiotherapy 🎄

As we draw the year to a close, we’ll be finishing up at midday on Wednesday, with our normal clinic resuming on 5 January.

A big thank you to all our patients for letting us be part of your journey this year. We really appreciate the trust you place in us.

To our amazing Sportsmed Southern Physiotherapy team, what a year. A huge amount of growth, lots of learning, plenty of hard work, and some fun along the way. You’ve earned a well deserved break.

Thanks also to our referrers and everyone we work alongside. We really value these relationships and the support.

Have a safe and happy Christmas, we look forward to working with you all again in 2026.

14/12/2025

Behind the Scenes: Mitchell’s First Season as Lead Physio with the Southland Stags

📸Debbie Fahey Photography

We sat down with Mitchell, our Lead Physiotherapist, to reflect on his first season working full-time in a high-performance rugby environment with the Southland Stags. From unforgettable moments to professional growth, here’s what he had to say.

How have you found your first season working as the Lead Physio with the Stags?

“I’ve absolutely loved it, sport has always been a big part of my life both playing it and supporting it. So to have the opportunity to be in a high performance sporting environment full time across the 4 months has been a dream come true.”

What have been some of the highlights or standout moments for you?

“Definitely winning the Ranfurly Shield is the biggest highlight – just what that does for the playing group, the supporters and the whole Southland community – it shows that sometimes it is more than just about Rugby. Was just an awesome few days.”

“Also developing relationships with the players – we are essentially together all day everyday, I would definitely see some more than others, and while that is not always a good thing because it means they are injured it is pretty cool to get to know these boys on a deeper level and what makes them tick. Its creating lifelong friends and contacts.”

How has the support from the Sportsmed Southern Physiotherapy team helped you in this role?

“The Sportsmed team has been amazing – they have been super supportive with providing opportunities to learn and grow in the sporting capacity.”

“I have attended courses, have shadowed Andrew for the last 2 years with the Stags which allowed me to absorb and learn so much. I think we have such a supportive team as well – all the physios are more than happy to chip in with advice and ideas when needed. It's how we all continue to learn and develop.”

What have you learnt or developed most during this season?

“I think I probably grew the ability to manage myself in high pressure environments. I think the reality of high performance sport is that things do get heated, it’s not always the rainbows and butterflies you see on TV.”

“Initially I probably struggled with being questioned constantly by players and coaches, but as the season went on I definitely began to trust my skillset and knowledge a lot more. The ability to make decisions with the players best interests at heart and then be able get everybody on the same page is definitely a tough job.”

“I have learnt that all these players are real humans too – they are constantly riding emotions, being judged for everything they do and constantly under the pump. Sometimes they just need someone to talk to that they can trust and be comfortable with, and I think this relates right back to the general public – I think this is where physiotherapy is a really unique profession, we see people in vulnerable states.”

“I have also developed the hunger to learn and grow further. In an ever-changing profession, I think when you are comfortable in the environment that is sometimes a bit of a red-flag. I want to keep growing the knowledge base and learning off others, so I can continue to assess and progress people with the best care possible.”

What advice would you give to other physios who are interested in working in sport?

“Enjoy it – it is a very cool and unique role that not many people get to be a part of. If you love it and have the passion for it then that rubs off on the people around you.”

“Learn off others and ask questions – don’t be afraid to approach people in the industry. The most learning I have done is when I’m shadowing others. If you are interested in something, ask the people you know, often we are more than happy to share our time and experience.”

Sporting opportunities Mitchell has been involved in

Mitchell has had the opportunity to work across a wide range of sporting environments to date, predominantly within rugby. This has included roles with the Southland U19s, Southland Development, Southland Boys’ High School 1st XV (including travelling to Japan for the Sanix World Tournament), the Southland Stags, and the Highlanders Bravehearts. Outside of rugby, he has also been involved with the NZ 3x3 Basketball Tournament and the Distinction Hotels Te Anau Tennis Tournament, further broadening his experience across high-performance and competitive sporting settings.

21/11/2025

We were lucky to have Dr Steve White from AUT join us for a deep dive into diagnostic accuracy and clinical reasoning. A really valuable day of learning and reflection, with some great conversations about how we can continue to lift our practice.

We’re always looking for ways to refine how we think and practice, to stay curious and challenge ourselves.

A big thank you to Steve for making the trip down and sharing his expertise.

17/11/2025

A game-changer in how we test, measure and track our patients’ progress 👌

16/11/2025

An early Christmas present for the clinic 🎁
Our new VALD Force Frames have arrived, allowing us to level up how we measure strength, track progress, and support our patients in their rehab.

19/10/2025

Staff Spotlight | Kate Simmonds

This week we’re checking in with Kate Simmonds about what she loves most about working at Sportsmed. Kate splits her time between the Stadium clinic, Snap Fitness gym and Alliance.

"I enjoy the variety of offsites and clinical settings that we work in, no day is the same."

She also loves the chance to help patients rebuild strength and confidence in the gym environment.

"I enjoy working in the gym for the access it gives to be able to rehab patients well - particularly for long-term post-op patients. I love being able to encourage and support people who are new to the gym to make them comfortable in that environment. I really enjoy working with post-op patients and progressing them with their rehab but also providing encouragement for a healthier and more active lifestyle long-term."

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05/10/2025

We love seeing our new grads grow and make the most of every opportunity.
Since joining us earlier this year, Briar McKenzie has jumped right into everything Sportsmed has to offer, learning in clinic, working with Southland Women’s Rugby, Star Rugby and helping out with the Stags.

📸 Debbie Fahey (background edited)

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22/09/2025

We have 4 🎟️ to the Stags 🦌 home game this Friday.

Comment below 👇

📸 Debbie Fahey

15/09/2025

At Sportsmed Southern Physiotherapy, our team benefits from unique opportunities to learn from leaders in the profession, develop their clinical skills, and be challenged to grow in a supportive environment.

This year we were fortunate to have Karl, physiotherapist for the All Blacks, locum with us. Karl brings international expertise and a genuine passion for mentoring physiotherapists. His time with us offered our team the rare opportunity to learn directly from someone who has worked at the highest level of sport, while staying grounded in supporting clinicians at every stage of their careers.

We’re excited to have Karl returning next year and know our team will once again benefit from his knowledge, teaching and support.

“After returning to Sportsmed recently I was very impressed by the outstanding care shown towards staff both as a professional and person. As a previous director I was extremely proud of the way in which Physiotherapy staff were mentored and the emphasis that goes on developing the clinical reasoning and assessment and treatment skills of their physiotherapists. This is done with a lovely balance between challenge and care - a perfect model and one that I believe is second to none in the industry.”

“I was lucky enough to be given a significant proportion of my time to have one-on-one sessions with staff where I would either observe and help staff with patients or simply sit with them answering any questions they had. This would be followed up with practical teaching using my experiences (both good and sometimes not so good!) to help grow the physiotherapists’ skills and understanding. I believe this is rare and certainly wish I had this type of support when I was a less experienced physiotherapist. I am looking forward to doing the same in the future.” – Karl

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07/09/2025

Before heading to London, Tim sat down with us to share what he’s valued most about his time at Sportsmed and where his career is taking him next.

On his experience at Sportsmed

“I’ve had exposure to such a wide range of opportunities , from working weekly at Boys’ High with youth athletes, to occupational health in the meat processing factories, through to high performance sport. I’ve worked with the Sharks, Marist, Southland U19s and Development sides, and the Rugby Southland Academy.”

On the culture

“I really enjoyed the team culture. Andrew and Anna have put us as people before employees. We always had a laugh, and even with busy schedules everyone took the time to swing their head round the door for a quick yarn. Everyone is open to discussion around clients, and are just as invested in your clients as their own, and always willing to help out.”

On his next steps

“During my time at Sportsmed, I’ve built confidence in my skills, helping me to feel reasonably confident about taking that next step and going to London. I will be over there for 1-2 years. I would like to try to get a similar job as to what I have here in private MSK work and grow my network and work with rugby or sports teams, with the aim to end up in a sports academy system.”

If you’re a physiotherapist looking for the same diversity of experience, supportive culture, and pathway into sport that Tim describes, come and work with us at Sportsmed!

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02/09/2025

🦌 WINNERS HAVE NOW BEEN DRAWN🦌

We have 4 tickets to this weekends shield defense against Canterbury.

Comment below 👇