Dubai: Physio Lacey Congram is helping to get the Arabian Gulf Team in peak physical condition for the forthcoming and eagerly awaited Rugby Sevens tournament at the end of the month.
The team are now in countdown mode, training four times a week but Lacey says that this in itself can highlight long-term injuries that may affect performance at the all-important tournament.
"It is a fine balance between ensuring that you are at your best physically, but also not overdoing it so much that you aggravate old injuries or indeed, create new ones," he said.
Lacey is on site at all the training sessions to ensure that the team warm up and cool down properly with plenty of dynamic stretching, and monitors any existing injuries, providing one-on-one therapy.
The Arabian Gulf team are an amateur team competing against the professional sides of South Africa (World Series Champions), Wales (World Cup Champions), and Austailia (ranked third in the Sevens World Series) in the forthcoming Emirates, Dubai Rugby Sevens Tournament, the opening tournament of the series.
Balancing act
As amateurs and without sponsorship they battle to balance home, work and social lives with the dedication and commitment required to train for such events.
Fatigue and overtraining can play a major part in causing burn-out and injury, considering players must work long hours in full-time jobs, then travel long distances to train late into the evening, often without adequate nutrition and recovery during the day.
However their passion drives them to continue, often through injury, to compete at such prestigious events as the Dubai Sevens.
Lacey says: "The Sevens game is fast and furious on the pitch so it is important that muscles are dynamically strong to withstand the heavy impact of a tackle."
