Player testing for Aussie national competition gets underway

Article Published: Saturday 31 March 2007
Edited by: Sports Digital Media

One of Queensland’s two new Australian Rugby Championship teams, the Ballymore Tornadoes, will start fitness testing on potential squad members from next week.

Players will be tested on their strength and endurance, to enable coaching staff to draw up individual strength and conditioning programs to get them to the required fitness levels or keep them there.

The new competition kicks off in August but the eight teams in the new national competition will need to decide their 28-player squadsby June 30.

Tornadoes head coach Chris Roche expects to invite up to 45 club players (excluding current Reds players) to take part in the testing program, which coincides with the bye week in Queensland Premier Rugby.

Invitations to attend testing will be published on the QRU website www.qru.com.au on MondayApril 2, with the first test on Wednesday April 4.