Steven Kitshoff (Gallo Images)
Apart from working hard on their conditioning during the Covid-19 lockdown, the Stormers are also aiming to improve their rugby knowledge.
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Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff, who captained the Stormers in five of their six games this year, has been encouraged by the amount of technical and tactical work the players have done since the Super Rugby season was suspended.
The World Cup winner with 97 Stormers caps continues to recover from a pectoral tear and apart from his injury rehab and conditioning work, has also found some time to do some home renovations and further his studies.
“It has been non-stop rehab and cardio for me, trying to stay in shape. I train once or twice a day and I am also keeping busy with some home renovations and studies,” he told the Stormers’ official website.
Kitshoff paid credit to the coaching staff, who have challenged the players to analyse their game and improve their rugby knowledge.
“All of the coaches really did a lot of work putting together some great video clips and insights to show us. It was a good initiative to go and do the work and I think it got a great response from the players.
“It is so important when you can’t be on the field to train your mind in the way you want to play, which helps translate into the game much more easily. I am very proud of the way the guys are working, not just conditioning wise, but also improving their rugby knowledge,” he said.
With South Africa still in lockdown level 4 it remains unclear when rugby in the country will be allowed to resume.
New Zealand earlier this week announced they would return to rugby on June 13 with their own domestic event called Super Rugby Aotearoa, while there are talks of a similar competition in Australia.
Stormers coach John Dobson stressed playing a local Super Rugby event as well as the Currie Cup later in the year could prove problematic.
“There was a strong argument that we’d have to play Super Rugby because of the commercial rights around that, but the way we’re going, it’s hard to see us starting before, I think, even July. Then we’d still have to squeeze a Currie Cup in? I think it’s looking more like it’s going to be a big Currie Cup going late in the year,” Dobson told reporters in a virtual meeting earlier this week.
– Compiled by Sport24 staff
