Hectic schedule to build up to world cup

South African sports scientist guru Tim Noakes warned that a packed fixture list for the Springbok players for the next couple of months could erode the team's rugby world cup potential.

The Springboks start their 2007 season this weekend with the Super 14 series, followed by domestic tours against England and Samoa, the Tri-Nations series and then the World Cup


Tim Noakes believes the schedule could erase the physical advantage certain key national players gained in the past four months by being withdrawn from last year's Currie Cup series and the year-end tour to the UK. This is what the kiwis have done for their preparation for the world cup.


"The break the Springbok players received will have had benefits," said Noakes. "But it was not long enough. These players should not be playing contact rugby this soon because the international season this year is long. Human beings cannot be expected to sustain such high performance until the World Cup.


Noakes said the decision by the New Zealand Rugby Union to withdraw their most valuable players from first half of the Super 14 was based on scientific measurements and data they had collected over the past few years and he stressed that similar measurement systems should have been implemented in SA. I am sure the English have been mulling this issue over, the Irish have put this issue behind them country first then club and that is why they are the favourites for the Six nations



South African Rugby homepage