Training Aids

Training aids, and the lack of them in Nelson, is another facet of Rugby that must be looked at. The union possesses neither a scrummaging nor tackling machine. Nelson College has a scrum machine of sorts and the Wanderers Club has a magnificent machine. But it is at Brightwater, and for the most part unavailable to club and school teams. These are two invaluable aids to teach fundamentals. We (That Is The Union) Must Have Them, and they should be installed at Trafalgar Park and at the colleges and Used By Everyone. Neither is particularly costly, unless the union wants a scrum machine as good as that owned by Wanderers. The pitiful standard of tackling in the province has been one of the major reasons for our lack of success. Many players, at senior level too, do not know how to tackle properly. A tackling machine of a simple design (see preceding page) can not only instil in players the confidence needed to make a forceful head-on tackle, but be used to teach younger players one of the most important fundamentals of the game. Manual tackling practice is inefficient.