Rugby league squad undergoes fitness testing at Wigram

Press, 21 November 1987, Page 16

Rugby league squad undergoes fitness testing at Wigram

The fitness formula which carried the New Zealand rugby league team to its test triumph against Australia at Brisbane last July is being followed again this summer. A squad of 19 representative players or Junior Kiwis from the South Island and Wellington will be put through its paces at the Wigram Air Base today and tomorrow by the Kiwi coach, Tony Gordon, and the N.Z.R.L. director of coaching, Bob Hall. They will again be assisted by two physical training instructors from the police force, whose other “pupils” include S. A.S. and Task Force groups. Mr Gordon had not long succeeded Graham Lowe as coach of the Kiwis last year when he emphasised the importance of superior fitness if the very professional Australians were to be beaten.

i A programme of off-season 1 training was introduced durt ing the summer months and t Mr Gordon and his generally ? young and inexperienced players were rewarded by a 13-6 victory under the Lang s Park floodlights. 1 Although the Kiwis t matched their vaunted opponJ ents in skills, their remark--1 able stamina enabled them to . absorb tremendous pressure - throughout a scoreless second » half as the Australians desperately sought to extend 1 their international domin- - ance. 5 In the final quarter thp Kiwis seemed able to switch c to reserve tanks of energy. Some of the Australians, by ’ comparison, were nearly on 5 their knees. “The train-on tests at Wigram during the week-end ' will include strength, power, endurance and speed work,” said Mr Hall yesterday. “On

1 Saturday morning there will . be sprinting, under the guidance of a specialist coach, a 1 12min run, a lecture and an

analysis of what we did, how we did it, and why. “On Sunday we go into the gymnasium at Wigram for weights. Coaches from Canterbury will also participate in the course and hopefully its benefits will filter down through the ranks,” said Mr Hail. The squad includes Phil Bancroft, John Green, Wayne Wallace, Esene Faimalo, Craig Feutz, Michael Brown, Michael Culley, Walter Wilson, Stuart Simcott, Mark Nixon (Canterbury), Troy Forsyth, Jason Palmada (West Coast), James Paikea, Willie Tangira, Victor Aramoana, Kelly Makaore, Barry Harvey, Simon Foua and Tony Kemp (Wellington). Chris Neame (West Coast) was not available. • Preparations for the 1988 season will continue on November 26, 27 and 28 with a course for coaches under

the directors of coaching for the South Island (Ray Haffenden) and Canterbury (Jim Robinson) at the Halswell Domain. “The object is to improve the rugby league standard through coaching,” Mr Haffenden said. “In the last two years, 126 people in Canterbury have passed their level one preliminary stage. They are all eligible for next week-end’s course for level one advanced and level two certificates,” he said. Coaches from Otago and West Coast will join their Canterbury counterparts to sit the course. Mr Haffenden said that all clubs in Canterbury were required to appoint coaching directors for next season and all premier teams must be guided by coaches with level two certificates.