Newport Gwent Dragons senior team have a new fitness and conditioning coach at the helm with New Zealander Paul Bunce formerly of the academy taking over the role.
Paul has been in charge of The Dragons academy for the past season where the fitness level of the academy members has gone up considerably.
Paul is originally from Napier but has spent the last three years in Wales where he previously was with the Sports Council for Wales. Paul qualified in Sports Science at Otago and combined lecturing and exercise science for three years with Wellington and New Zealand hockey team. He then studied sports and recreation management for five years before working with elite athletes and the NZ hockey team at the Sydney Olympics.
After that he came to Cardiff where he got the position with the Sports Council for Wales as senior strength conditioner - the first person to hold the position. His role there involved developing athletes for Elite Cymru and Great Britain before he landed the job with The Dragons academy.
We caught up with Paul to find out how he is settling into the role and his aims for the season ahead.
Talk us through a typical week for yourself and the team?
A typical week comprises of working towards developing the physical requirements that will aid players through a long and arduous season. This essentially means that there is emphasis on weight training, functional strength training, speed and agility and games to develop fitness. However, we also try to keep a long-term view, so players are continuously aiming to improve and the training we do reflects this.
What or who has impressed you the most in your time with the squad?
The entire squad has impressed me so far. The senior players, international players and new recruits all interact in a very positive manner. There appears to be a very good atmosphere at the moment which is definitely spilling over into training and playing.
What are the key objectives that you want to achieve?
Key objectives are initially getting the players physically prepared for the season ahead. However, it is important that we also look long term. So, as long as we continue to work towards getting players bigger, faster and stronger then we should be able to cope with the ever-increasing demands of rugby. Significant gains in lean muscle, strength and speed are initial requirements that will bode well for the season.
What is your coaching and rugby philosophy?
From a strength / conditioning perspective I aim to promote a friendly but competitive and hard working ethos as I believe that an individual high level of motivation will be a primary factor in their progress. I also believe in setting goals based on current fitness testing results and constantly challenging players to better themselves, empowering the individual to take responsibility in what they do and how well they do it, and making things as relevant to rugby as possible. Also, a strong integration with coaching and management staff's objectives whilst keeping an overall big picture are also important.
What are you looking forward to most in your new role?
I am looking forward to a season that allows The Dragons to show what they can do and to allow them to take positive steps forwards. Aiming for re-entry into the Heineken Cup, and being successful in the Magners League are obvious goals. My intention is to aid the process as much as possible whilst seeing players develop to their full potential.
Finally, what skills and attributes do you think you will bring to The Dragons party?
I enjoy working in a high performance environment that continuously challenges and pushes. Basically, I'm a hard working person who likes to strive for high standards, motivated, keen on keeping up with current trends and research as well as networking to allow for modern approaches to my job.
