There have been many comings and goings in the All Whites set up over the past 16 years but at least one constant has remained – the presence of Roland Jeffery.

The long-serving physio has been part of the medical staff since 2003 and celebrated his 100th ‘A’ international game with the national team in the 3-1 defeat to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin last week. 

To mark the milestone, he was presented with a signed shirt by the squad and says achieving such a rare feat was a special moment.

“It’s something I hadn’t really reflected on until being in camp but it’s a huge milestone for me personally and a real honour to have been able to serve the All Whites for so long,” he says.

“It’s been an absolute privilege and I guess it’s been my dream job.”

Outside of tour time with the All Whites, Jeffery is based on Auckland’s North Shore, where he runs the renowned Roland Jeffery Physiotherapy Sports Injury Clinic in Glenfield.

His first taste of an All Whites tour came on a trip to Iran during the coaching tenure of Mick Waitt and his enjoyment of the environment has kept him involved ever since.

“To be honest, I can’t really remember too much about it, it was a little bit overwhelming for me,” he recalls of his All Whites introduction all those years ago.

“It was a new medical team and a new management team and I sort of just winged my way through it, relying on the experience of the people around me. I worked pretty hard to get the support of the players and the coaching staff to carry on to the next tour and it’s just gone from there.”

His long stint has taken in some of the most memorable moments in New Zealand’s footballing history but there are no prizes for guessing what’s at the top of his list.

“The 2010 World Cup was a highlight but I think the one-off game against Bahrain in Wellington was a really special memory which everyone who was involved in that will always share,” he says.

“But, for me, the biggest highlight was probably being on stage at the Halberg Awards when the All Whites won the Supreme Halberg and team of the year. As a physiotherapist, you’re usually out of the limelight but to get up on stage with the players in front of all those other sports people, teams and organisations was pretty special, both for New Zealand Football and personally.”

Away from the pitch, Jeffery relishes the light-hearted side of the role and has heard all sorts of tales during his time in the treatment room.

“I could probably write a couple of books on that easily and the players have always suggested I do that,” he says with a laugh.

“There’s literally thousands of stories and I think one of the things that keeps me going is working with some really special people in the management team. The doctors, the other physios, the sport scientists and coaches have kept it fresh and alive for me, I really enjoy their company. But it’s great to see the players come in and how they grow and progress, what they’re up to with their own personal lives and their footballing lives as well. There’s so many stories I could tell but they’re probably best kept in the treatment room!”
 

Roland Jeffery, left, with the All Whites medical staff and his signed shirt

His time with the team has also taken in a crucial period in the All Whites’ development, in which the playing group has morphed from a largely amateur one into a fully professional set-up.

“That’s something we were just talking about this week and it’s had a big impact on my role,” Jeffery says.

“The players are all professional now but when I first started that wasn’t the case. Back then, I was working long hours doing lots of massage, manual therapy and treatments. But now that the players are professional, they really look after themselves and realise their body is their tool. They all use things like foam rollers and massage balls, and we’ve also got comprehension garments and ice machines. All these things have made the job a lot easier from my point of view and the workload has decreased. It’s been really special to be part of that process over the years.”

Having now chalked up over 100 matches, Jeffery is keen to continue adding to that tally and is excited about the direction new coach Danny Hay is looking to take the team.

“I worked with Danny when he was a player and have kept in touch with him over the years. I think the vision he has is really exciting and there’s a really positive mood in the camp,” Jeffery says.

“So I’m really looking forward to the next cycle and all the challenges that lie ahead. I’ll keep doing it for as long as I’m wanted and, when it reaches the stage when perhaps it’s time for someone else to have a go, my goal is to make sure we have a good succession plan in place so we can keep a really high medical standard within the All Whites environment.”

Article added: Wednesday 20 November 2019