Sportsmed Southern Physiotherapy

17/03/2026

16/03/2026

Great turnout on Saturday for the Sideline Medic Course run by Andrew.

A big thanks to everyone who gave up their time to come along and learn. It was a fantastic group of people, all there for the same reason, wanting to support their teams and athletes as well as they can. By the end of the morning there was a real lift in confidence around how to respond when something happens on the field.

Community sport relies heavily on people willing to step up and help out, so it was awesome to see so many keen to upskill and be better equipped to look after their athletes.

We will definitely look to run more of these in the future.

Massive thanks as well to Victor for kindly supplying some tape for the day. Much appreciated.

13/03/2026

It was great to have Mitch sharing his knowledge with the team this morning before he heads off overseas soon 😢

It was an enjoyable session looking at end stage shoulder rehab, with some great ideas on fun ways to challenge our athletes.

12/03/2026

Andrew 1: Mitch 0 😂

02/03/2026

It was great to have Johanna (Sharks and Academy) and Brooke (Rugby Southland) join us recently for our training day with Sean and Russ from VALD. Having their strength and conditioning perspective in the room adds so much value. The way they look at load, strength development, and performance complements what we’re doing from a physio point of view, and it pushes our thinking.

We’re really big on collaboration, with the best outcomes happening when different disciplines share ideas, challenge each other, and work toward the same goal.

Appreciate you both coming in and contributing to the learning. Our patients and athletes are better for it.

📸 Johanna demonstrating what a maximal effort for the seated calf test looks like!!

02/03/2026

This is not just for athletes.

This is for anyone who wants to stay strong for life.
For parents lifting kids.
For runners chasing goals.
For gym-goers putting in the work.

Are you actually getting stronger?
Is one side doing more work than the other?
Are you building power, or just hoping you are?

We’re giving ONE person the opportunity to find out.

Win 2 personalised performance testing sessions, approx. 12 weeks apart, using our VALD ForceFrame, Force Plates, and Dynamo technology.

Tailored to you and what you want to explore:
✔️ Lower body strength or power
✔️ Upper body strength or power
✔️ Limb symmetry
✔️ Rate of force development
✔️ Progress tracking over time
✔️ Balance

Session 1 → Establish your baseline
Session 2 (12 weeks later) → Re-test and measure real change

At Sportsmed Southern Physiotherapy, we measure what matters so you can train with clarity and progress with confidence.

TO ENTER:
Simply comment below 👇 and tag someone who loves training or data!

Winner announced: Monday 9th March

22/02/2026

We are thrilled to welcome Malachai Bright to the Sportsmed team!

Malachai attended primary school in Fiji and completed his high school education in Vietnam before moving to New Zealand to study at the University of Otago. He graduated with a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science in 2022, followed by a Bachelor of Physiotherapy in 2025.

“Hi, I’m Malachai, a new grad physio here at Sportmed Invercargill. I recently graduated from the University of Otago and was able to do some placements here last year, so it’s great to be back. I’m really looking forward to working with a wide range of patients and helping people get back to their everyday activities and personal goals. I love all things sports especially basketball and have also played volleyball and enjoy rock climbing. Excited to get started.”

20/02/2026

All smiles after a great day of learning with Sean and Russ from VALD.

Heaps of great conversations, plenty of laughs and lots of learning!

We love getting the team together for days like these! A massive thanks to Sean and Russ for their time and energy!

More pics to come 📸

19/02/2026

Last week we had a great day learning from Dr Angela Cadogan, Specialist Shoulder Physiotherapist.

There was lots of practical discussion and some really useful clinical detail that you only get when you’re in the room together. We worked through ACJ assessment and treatment, spent time on scapula motor control, and refined how we’re prescribing and progressing rotator cuff exercises.

It was great to have Karl join us, and to have Neave and Georgia ( 4th year students) there too.

One of the things we value most is the relationship we have with Ange. Being able to refer to her and work alongside her with more complex shoulder presentations is huge. It means our patients get the benefit of truly collaborative care, and we get to keep raising the bar locally.

Shoulders are complex and nuanced, and they deserve to be managed really well. Days like this help us keep doing exactly that.

We also broke up the day with an hour from Dayle Shackel looking at lumbar spine bone stress injuries in cricket. An absolute wealth of knowledge in this space, and a great reminder of how important good load management and early recognition are in our young athletes.

18/02/2026

The link for registration can also be found in the comments 👇

16/02/2026

A big thank you to The Batch Cafe for keeping the team caffeinated, well fed, and ready to learn each Friday 👌

10/02/2026

Behind every strong campaign is a committed group working tirelessly off the court – and our incredible management team is locked in for 2026.

At the helm, head coach Wendy Frew is joining forces with experienced assistant coach Jess Whitfort, from Australia’s Sunshine Coast.

A master of logistics, Sonya Herbert has joined the ranks as team manager and we’re excited to add her organisational skills into the mix.

Our pocket powerhouse Josie McKerchar returns as strength and conditioning coach to ensure the players are primed for action, while physiotherapist Stacey Allan is back to oversee their physical wellbeing.

Jason McKenzie is tasked with supporting players in the mental skills space of high performance, and Aimee Hall as our Sports and Health Dietician, Aimee brings a wealth of expertise in sports nutrition to our team. (both not present in photo)

From strategy and performance to athlete wellbeing and culture, our management group is focused on creating an environment where our Steel players can thrive.

We are excited to have this experienced and passionate team leading the programme into the new season. Bring on 2026.