The initiative, named Headstrong, seeks to redefine how professional rugby clubs and organisations approach injury rehabilitation by placing equal emphasis on a player’s mental, emotional, and physical recovery.
Co-developed by University of Bristol students Anna Leppard, Jenna de Vera, and Sam Chevin as part of their dissertation project, Headstrong explores a critical research question: How do current injury rehabilitation practices in professional rugby address the psychological wellbeing of players, and how might these practices be improved to support holistic recovery?
Jenna, who is balancing her studies in Film and Television with Innovation alongside playing elite rugby for Bristol Bears and the Wales Women’s rugby team – for whom she made her senior debut this February – is no stranger to overcoming serious setbacks having suffered an ACL injury which forced her out of the game for 14 months.
While still at the early stage, the trio behind Headstrong are actively exploring its real-world potential with plans to present the concept to Bristol Bears to assess its feasibility within a professional rugby environment.
The hope is that this initial step could pave the way for broader implementation across not just rugby clubs and organisations worldwide, but other team sports such as football, and eventually individual disciplines like golf.
Anna said: “The vision is for Headstrong to become a flexible protocol or consultancy-style initiative that can be embedded directly into existing rugby club structures.
“While traditional rehabilitation focuses heavily on physical recovery, our research looks more broadly at how injury impacts areas such as identity, routine, sense of purpose, and overall outlook on life. These effects can be especially significant for elite athletes, whose lives are often highly structured around performance.
“By working closely with coaching and medical staff, the initiative aims to equip organisations with the tools and knowledge needed to better support athletes during injury and recovery.”
“Our focus is on creating meaningful, lasting change,” added Anna. “Success isn’t just about implementation - it’s about improving awareness, strengthening support systems, and ensuring athletes feel genuinely supported throughout their recovery journey.”
“There is also a huge benefit to the clubs in having this embedded within their approach towards player welfare because it demonstrates genuine ‘athlete-first’ thinking.”
One concept the team is exploring is the introduction of an additional assessment during a player’s onboarding at their club. This would capture more holistic insights about the individual, such as how they manage stress, their support networks, and personal circumstances. The goal would be to give coaches and support staff better context to support players more effectively if and when injuries occur, with regular check-ins and person-to-person interaction incorporated into the assessment.
The team has already conducted research featuring focus groups, workshops, and expert interviews with a wide range of professionals across club and international rugby including players, coaches, and physiotherapists.
The student team presented Headstrong at the recent University of Bristol’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s annual Innovation Showcase to raise awareness of the project, gather feedback, and validate the concept. In parallel, the team is exploring potential long-term funding models, including the possibility of a sustainable non-profit structure supported by grants and public sector funding.