A team from Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health (ISEH) have been hard at work preparing the Tongan national team for the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.
Matthew Blair, Principal Lecturer and Academic Leader of ISEH’s post-grad programme in Strength and Conditioning, has just returned from Tonga, where he has been working closely with the Tongan team, fine-tuning their physicality in the build-up to the international sporting event, which kicks off in France on 8 September.
Mr Blair was joined in Tonga by two locals, Koliniusi (Loa) Lepa and Isikeli VIte, both of whom are completing a Bachelor of Applied Science at Otago Polytechnic.
As interns, the pair worked with Mr Blair, analysing the Tongan players’ fitness, including measuring their strength and cardio-vascular fitness, then developing specific programmes to ensure the players are at their peak for the Rugby World Cup.
Koliniusi and Isikeli, who have mixed online and on-campus learning, returned to Tonga recently having spent the first semester of this year at Otago Polytechnic’s Dunedin Campus.
“I enjoyed every bit of it my time in Dunedin,” Koliniusi reflects, adding: “Trying to adapt to the changes – both environmentally and academically – was a great experience.
Koliniusi and Isikeli say the opportunity to integrate what they have learned at Otago Polytechnic with real-world placements has been invaluable.
“The experience has given me a taste of the demands and skills required to be a strength and conditioning coach at that level,” Koliniusi says. “And, as a community project, it also contributes to the professional practice requirements of the Bachelor of Applied Science programme.”
Hayden Croft, Head of Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health, says the Tongan’s duo’s experience is another example of the benefits of real-world learning.
“Our ākonga learn not only the theory and current research around sports, but also how to apply this knowledge in teams, employment situations and communities.
“We aim to help prepare Koliniusi, Isikeli and others to serve the wider Tongan community – as well as the Ikale Tahi at the Rugby World Cup!”
