Tonga's High Performance Program in full swing

The Annual Review of the Tonga Rugby Union Authority (TRUA) High Performance program took place in Nuku'alofa this week. The review is conducted by the IRB and the TRUA over 2 days and looks at all aspects of the TRUA High Performance program. In all over 100 separate aspects of the Program across four key areas (Management & Governance, Infrastructure & Daily Training Environment, Sports Science & Sports Medicine and International Competition & Support) are critiqued and assessed to identify weaknesses and find solutions that will enhance the program.

The findings of the review are pleasing. There are 26 male scholarship holders in the TRUA Academy in addition to six women and one referee. In addition to the Scholarship program, the TRUA HP Program is also responsible for preparing all international teams including the Ikale Tahi (National Team), Tonga A (which competes in the IRB Pacific Rugby Cup), Men's and Women's Sevens and U20's (who depart shortly for the IRB Junior World Championship). An expansion of the Program will be possible when more staff are employed.

Tonga's U20 team get their dead lift technique down pat 

Tonga's U20's on plyometrics

The Academy squad trains five days week with one or two sessions per day depending on the stage of their training cycle. Most of these boys are aiming for a professional contract. All of them aspire to don the famous Ikale Tahi jumper. Some of them have already represented their country in Sevens and/or fifteens.

There are six women in the Tonga Rugby Union's Academy program 

Academy coach Siua Taumalolo guides his charges

The Gym session starts at 6.00am

The HP Program is staffed by a full time academy coach, technical advisor and trainer. National Coach, Isitolo Maka is also a fulltime employee of the TRUA. Sports Science and Sports Medicine is a major challenge to the program (there is only 1 physiotherapist in the whole of Tonga) and this is something that the IRB and the TRUA are working on resolving. At present the program relies on physios from Australia and New Zealand.

However, whilst there will always be challenges in running a HP Program in a small economy like Tonga, the TRUA is delivering a world class program. All High Performance coaches are IRB Accredited and they are also trained in Video Analysis (the Union use the Verusco VA system) and the matches of all National Teams are coded and reviewed. 

All players are assessed against skill and conditioning benchmarks that have been established with the assistance of the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Unions. 

The Tonga Rugby Union Academy in the Licensed Training Centre Gym

The Tonga Rugby Union gymnasium isn't an oil painting...

...but it has all the necessary equipment to produce World Class athletes

A rigourous competition schedule has been established ahead of the opening match of Rugby World Cup where Tonga will open the world's biggest sporting event in 2011 against the All Blacks. In all, 22 matches for Tonga and Tonga A will have been played in the 12 months leading into Rugby World Cup. With the calibre of players that are returning from Europe, Australia, Japan and New Zealand as well as the significant improvements that the local players have been making through the Academy program and the Tonga A program, Tonga are going to thrill spectators at RWC.

Tonga will next compete in the Churchill Cup in June ahead of the IRB Pacific Nations Cup in Fiji in July. They have a two test series against Fiji in August before heading of to Rugby World Cup.