UPMC Announced as Sports Medicine Supplier to Munster Rugby

Munster Rugby have announced that UPMC Sports Medicine is to become their official Sports Medicine Supplier. The partnership agreement means that UPMC will work with Munster Rugby to offer players top-class care and attention in sports injury and preventative care.

UPMC, a globally recognised leader in sports medicine and orthopaedics, and a trusted sports medicine provider across Ireland, recently purchased UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic in Santry and last year opened a new UPMC Sports Medicine Clinic at TUS Moylish in Limerick, beside Thomond Park.

“UPMC is recognised globally as a leader in sports medicine, rehabilitation and orthopaedics and is delighted to be working to find innovative ways to support the well-being of Munster Rugby’s players on and off the field. 

This ensures access to the most up-to-date functional movement assessments, scientifically based strength and conditioning programmes, clinical diagnostics, including MRI scans, and equipment that will help with recovery and athletic development” said John Windle, general manager of UPMC Sports Medicine in Ireland.

Windle continued “UPMC Sports Medicine is proud to become Sports Medicine Supplier to Munster Rugby. UPMC has a long tradition of caring for athletes at all levels, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins in the United States and in Ireland as the official healthcare partner of the GAA and GPA.”

Dave Kavanagh, Head of Commercial and Marketing, Munster Rugby, said “Player welfare is a core value of Munster Rugby, and we are delighted to partner with UPMC.

It will be a mechanism for our players to access best-in-class sports medicine services and will allow us to assist our medical teams in providing the best care to our players in line with international best practice in a range of areas.’’

The UPMC Sports Medicine Clinic is located in TUS Limerick and is the health system’s first clinic in the Mid-West. Dedicated to sports medicine, the partnership announced today will offer a wide variety of equipment and services to Munster Rugby, including:

AlterG Antigravity Treadmil, which allows for pain-free lower extremity rehabilitation by reducing gravitational forces in a fall-safe environment; Biodex technology, which guides return to play with validated, quantitative outcomes data obtained through computerised measurement of muscle function and output; Blood flow restriction rehabilitation, which uses a specialised tourniquet system to reduce blood flow to an extremity with the goal of increasing strength using low weight loads to mimic training at high loads and Winback and shockwave therapy, two non-invasive, evidence-based treatments that accelerate healing from sports-related injuries.