UNFIT SPRINGBOKS
Rugby players set to face more rigid monitoring
South African rugby players will have to meet more stringent fitness levels and will be more closely monitored in coming years. That was the outcome of a meeting of the country’s Super Rugby franchise fitness coaches in Cape Town on Wednesday. Poor player conditioning has been a concern for various Springbok coaches in recent seasons. In 2015, only seven of 49 players chosen for a provisional Bok World Cup squad passed initial fitness tests, which infuriated then coach Heyneke Meyer. Before November’s Bok tour to Britain and Italy, only two players – lock Pieter-Steph du Toit and scrumhalf Piet van Zyl – passed fitness tests before the squad departed. The Springboks lost all three Tests on tour and drew against a makeshift Barbarians team in a non-Test match. In 2016, the Springboks lost eight of 12 Tests – their worst return in the professional era. Lack of conditioning is a concerning reflection of the state of conditioning practices at unions, but an even worse indictment of play...
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