Natasha Charlwood – Rugby Football Club

Studying a sports degree at BCU means you will participate in a placement module. This gives you the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in your specialist area and learn from industry experts in a professional sports setting.

Please tell us what placement you are on, who it is with and how long it is

I am on placement with a rugby club as their sports science and nutrition intern, working with their first team and academy teams. I started it in July 2021 during pre-season, and I finish at end of the rugby season in June 2022. 

What does your placement involve?

I started by shadowing both the lead sports scientist and performance nutritionist in their roles. It has led quite nicely to having more responsibility throughout the programme, where I have led the nutrition programme for the Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) students, delivered education workshops, cooking sessions, and worked 1-1 with various athletes. I have also worked very closely with the academy and have been able to carry out my dissertation within the club environment which has been a valuable experience. 

What have you learnt from being on your placement?

I have learned some real work practice, whether that has been good or has been at times more challenging. It has made me a better practitioner because I have been able to apply what I've learned throughout my degree into practice.

Has being on placement helped you with your current studies and if so, how?

Definitely. As mentioned, I was able to carry out my dissertation in the environment, and I was also able to use a player for my case study as part of one of my modules. It is also just vital learning experience that has really helped my degree and future. 

Do you have any highlights of being on your placement and if so what?

I think for me a highlight is just being in the environment, sitting in on the team meetings, and having that interaction with the players. Sometimes I step back and think, I am so lucky to have this experience within an elite sporting environment whilst being an undergraduate student. To have the support of the team has been amazing.

What are your aspirations for the future, and do you feel like your placement has helped you get a better idea of what career path you would like to take?

I aspire to be a performance nutritionist working in sports and this placement really solidified that career pathway. Going into the role, I took a sports science internship but was able to direct the path I wanted to take within the club and that has been really beneficial to me. I would say that although it initially wasn't the role I was looking for, it has really worked out in my favour.

How important do you think it is for students to participate in a placement?

I think it is very important for people to take part in placements. It not only gives you valuable career skills, but it also gives you connections in the industry and valuable life skills. If you think about the hundreds of people who graduate each year, you have to think about what is going to give you the best start to your career, whether that is in sports or not. I think placements play a massive part in employability. 

What advice would you give to somebody looking to do a sports placement?

Embrace the environment and take in as much as possible! Ask questions and be willing to learn, you never know where it could lead. When you're in the placement be committed, that's when you get the most of it in my opinion.