The Sharks’ annual Midlands preseason camp finished Friday the 15^th of January following a week of intensive training mixed with a few fun physical activities designed to provide some variety to the hard work.

Courtesy from www.sharksrugby.co.za

The stunning setting of Michaelhouse, former school for the likes of Patric Cilliers, Michael Rhodes, twins Ross and Guy Cronje and Patrick Lambie (as well as Sharks Physio Deane Macquet), played host to the squad for the duration of the week, the facilities lending themselves to perfect training conditions without any interruptions or sideshows, allowing optimal preparation for the 2010 Vodacom Super 14.

With the squad in various stages of fitness, injury and rehabilitation, the entire training and medical staff were able to put the players through their paces on the field, in the gym and on the medical benches to make sure everyone is in peak physical condition for the start of the annual tournament in mid February.

With The Sharks set to play the Western Force and Stormers in preseason matches in Cape Town in the last week in January, and then the Super 14 kicking off on Saturday 13 February against last year’s losing finalists, the Chiefs at The Absa Stadium Durban, at this stage it’s all about laying a platform in terms of physical fitness to allow for peak performance.

The high-intensity, tough training regime has certainly tested the players, who on Thursday admitted, without exception, to being stiff, sore and tired, with the acknowledgement that the hard work put in now will pay dividends down the line.

With morning and afternoon field sessions and gymming dominating the schedule, fun activities were interspersed in between to provide variety and excitement, while always delivering a beneficial, physical component.

On Thursday, following early morning training and then lunch, the entire squad and coaching staff were split into four groups to participate in three activities, with points awarded to each group. Fun quickly turned competitive, and the tennis session which lasted an hour in the sweltering sun, temperatures in the mid to upper 30s, brought out the best (and sometimes worst) in the individuals.

From then, the pool provided the setting for the next few challenges; underwater assembly of metal parts just one – certainly a test of swimming ability and endurance under water. The penultimate challenge, carrying a 20kg weight under water for the entire width of the pool to be shared by members of each team, saw Jannie du Plessis pipped at the post meters short, having carried the weight 95% of the distance on his own.

Finally, the strongest swimmer from each group had to swim the length of the pool under water, with Patric Cilliers showing his intimate knowledge of local conditions winning quite comfortably.

The last challenge was twofold, consisting of players having to carry a ring up a bank on a wet plastic sheet, and then slip-sliding down for the next member. Once all the rings had been moved from point A to point B, each team ran a half kilometer to the dam where they had to assemble their own raft and paddle to the end of the dam.

Unfortunately for Keegan Daniel’s team who had led after the first two challenges, they either suffered a puncture to their raft or didn’t blow it up properly – depending on whose version of events you believed – and finished a dismal last.

The camp concluded with everyone making their way back to Durban, relieved that this tough component is over, but happy in the knowledge that a massive amount of hard work has been accomplished.