THE RUGBY pitch of today has often been referred to as a combat zone, so London Irish have taken the natural step in their preparations for the coming season.
The first-team squad has spent the week at Sir John Moore Barracks in Winchester, boning up on their weapons-handling, shooting-range, field-work and assault-course skills.
It’s hoped the army training will harden the edges of the Exiles squad, imbue discipline as well as bond the group before another bruising campaign.
Second-row forward, Matt Garvey, said: “So far it is going really well. It has been a good insight into what goes on in the Army and working with all the Army guys. It has also been a great chance to get to know the new members of the squad which is good.”
Wing Topsy Ojo said: “I’ve spent quite a lot of time with the Army boys learning a lot about what they have done since they entered the Army, from training to going out on the frontline in combat which has been really interesting. We also put the camouflage paint on our faces today which has gone down really well with the boys.”
