Setting a standard in Sports Medicine Education

This past weekend, St Stithians College proudly hosted the prestigious World Rugby Advanced Immediate Care in Rugby (AICIR) Level 3 course. This significant event marked a milestone as St Stithians became the second school in South Africa and the first in Johannesburg to host this advanced medical training program. Over the course of three days, some of the country's leading sports physicians and medical professionals convened on our campus to deliver this specialized training.

This course, designed exclusively for physiotherapists and medical doctors, equips participants with the skills and knowledge to manage a wide range of medical emergencies that could arise in the context of sports. By enhancing the expertise of medical professionals, this program ultimately ensures that student-athletes receive the highest standard of care during their sporting endeavours.

While many schools adhere to the minimum medical standards outlined by BokSmart when hosting fixtures, we are proud to go above and beyond, setting a benchmark in global best practices for school sports. This initiative underscores our commitment to the health and safety of our students and demonstrates our leadership in advancing sports medicine at school level.

Dr Leigh Gordon, the course coordinator, expressed her gratitude and emphasized the significance of the collaboration. She stated:

“Together with my team of World Rugby AICIR faculty trainers, I would like to thank St Stithians for the opportunity to use your venue to host our course this past weekend. It is a fabulous opportunity to deliver the course to medics who are unable to access the SA Rugby courses which are otherwise only available to rugby union/franchise medics. By educating our medics, the care provided at school and club level improves exponentially, mostly for rugby but also for other sports. Once again, we extend our sincere thanks for your gracious offer to host the course, from which 19 medical professionals (14 doctors and 5 physiotherapists) have now earned their Advanced Immediate Care in Rugby qualification.”

Valuable lessons were shared by Dr Pete Anderson, a Boys' College parent, who successfully completed the course with a continued commitment to serving the Saints community in the years ahead. By combining medical best practices with the insights gained from a parent perspective, Dr Anderson aims to ensure that we provide the highest level of care and support to the students entrusted to us.

Our decision to host this prestigious course reflects our unwavering dedication to student well-being and safety. The knowledge imparted during the AICIR Level 3 course empowers medical professionals to respond effectively to emergencies, ensuring that our students are in the best possible hands. Additionally, this initiative strengthens our reputation as a trailblazer in sports and education, highlighting the importance we place on providing exceptional facilities and opportunities for our students.

We are proud to have played a pivotal role in advancing sports medicine education and look forward to continuing to lead the way in fostering a culture of excellence, safety, and care for all our student-athletes.

• Laurence Christie (Campus Director of Rugby)
• Dr Lizanne Pieterse (Previous Super Rugby, Warriors cricket team and Chippa United soccer team Doctor)
• Dr Leigh Gordon (Course Director. Springbok 7s Men’s & Women’s team doctor, World Rugby Concussion Panel, Medical Officer for the International Field Hockey association (FIH), for whom she was appointed as FIH Medical Officer for the last two Women’s Hockey World Cups, as well as the Field Hockey at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games)
• Dr Konrad von Hage (Previous Springbok and Proteas Team Doctor)
• Dr Herman Rossouw (Blue Bulls Team Doctor)

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