By RugbyWA Media
Contributors: Ali McLean



Ben Seymour

New Emirates Western Force flyhalf Ben Seymour is lapping up the intensity of the opening weeks of pre-season training and is already making rapid gains under the expert guidance of the club’s conditioning team.

Seymour isn’t a stranger to a professional pre-season programme, having trained with the Waratahs in the lead-up to the 2011 Super Rugby campaign, and has been glowing in his praise of the set-up in the west and the results being made across the squad.

“Compared to the Tahs programme last year this is a lot tougher,” Seymour said.

“One of things in particular is the running components,” he said after a hard-hitting session at City Beach.

Following another strong season for Manly in the Shute Shield, Seymour was brought to WA by Emirates Western Force Head Coach Richard Graham to add depth to the club’s playmaker stocks. The 21 year old has impressed in his efforts over the opening four weeks of the programme which he described as “intense but fun”.

With fitness measuring equipment such as heart rate monitors mandatory for players throughout their training Seymour said it had allowed everyone to fully understand the level of stress they can put on their bodies and maximising muscle strength without suffering injury.

The new $17 million ‘state of the art’ RugbyWA facilities have been a hit for established personnel and new arrivals alike. A gym spanning a massive 580sqm provides an optimal area for the strength components while recovery areas, including hydrotherapy and physio rooms, have kept everyone up and going following the tough sessions.

“With all the heart rate monitors and everything like that we are a lot more accountable to ourselves and that obviously helps you push a lot more,” Seymour said.

“Accountability is a really big part of the culture at the club. You can see that the boys pushing themselves and each other which is great momentum in the training environment.

“You’ve got to have competition at training to help take that next step.”

While the move across the county has already provided a host of new experiences, Seymour’s love of the coastal lifestyle has been maintained with Perth’s Cottesloe beach replacing his former digs in Bondi.

“The beaches are great in the west and the weather has been sensational,” Seymour said.

“We have seen plenty of sand and water in the pre-season so far and while those sessions have been pretty full-on you couldn’t really pick a better place to be working hard.”

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