Hurricanes show their healthy side

MAARTEN HOLL/Dominion Post

TOUGH GOING: Ma'a Nonu goes through his paces during the Hurricanes' first training session. Nonu, who did not have to join the side till January 26, did so voluntarily to participate in the first team blowout of the new year.

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Courgettes provided a fitting side dish to the Hurricanes' first training session of the year.

It was not so long ago that professional rugby trainers fretted over the effects of Christmas and New Year barbecues, but it seems the Hurricanes have embraced the healthy living concept.

A long line of blue buckets sat sideline yesterday, each housing gardening projects hatched by the team's nutritionist that have quickly become a competition to grow, then presumably eat, the biggest courgette.

Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett said three fitness tests yesterday suggested his players had maintained their training regimes over the break.

"We did fitness testing this morning with the yo-yo test and the guys were really good, they'd just about all improved," he said.

"Some went back slightly, but we expected that because from the pre-season tests we had said, 'you are bloody fit, but you need to work on the strength and size'.

"Those days [when players came back overweight] are just about over because as professional players they just want to do something and they have all come back in good nick. You sort of have to because of the early kickoff dates."

The Hurricanes had just 13 days together before the Christmas break and now have only three weeks before their first pre-season match, against the Chiefs at Mangatainoka on January 29.

The team's All Blacks won't play that match, not officially joining the squad till January 26, but Ma'a Nonu was one to voluntarily participate in the first team blowout of the new year.

Another pleasing sight was halfback Piri Weepu working hard in the gym as he continues his rehabilitation from a broken ankle suffered during the NPC.

Weepu is set to have the screw in his ankle removed on Monday in another encouraging step toward a return to the field.

"Some [players] come in early, some come in later. As you saw today, Ma'a was doing some conditioning. It's voluntary," Hammett said.

"Conrad [Smith] will do most of his training away before coming in, Neyza [Neemia Tialata] is in to do a lot of sessions, we had Horey [Andrew Hore] in today, but he's heading home, so they are all in different places, but they all have programmes and know where they need to be."

Weepu and flanker Karl Lowe (knee surgery) are the only players unavailable for the start of the season, though both are hopeful of returning late in the season.

- © Fairfax NZ News