Five young rugby players from the British School Al Khubairat (BSAK) were given an insight into what it takes to become a professional over the summer as they spent time with London Welsh and Plymouth Albion.
For the second summer in succession BSAK sent students to the UK to sample the intensity of pre-season training, with Mike Gibb, Sean Tierney, Steven Wood and the Knox brothers, Kyle and Fraser, all making the trip.
Aviva Premiership newcomers, Welsh, whose Head Coach Lyn Jones left his post as Director of Rugby at the Abu Dhabi school last summer, welcomed Gibb, Tierney and Wood to their west London base.
Kyle and Fraser, meanwhile, were the guests of current BSAK Director of Rugby Ed Lewsey, who spent his summer training and playing with former club Albion. Year 13 students Gibb and Tierney spent a week training alongside Exiles players, including Wales star Gavin Henson.
Their programme included speed sessions with the backs, challenging weight routines and kicking coaching. They were joined by 15-year-old Wood and were guests of the club as they went down 40-31 in an entertaining friendly at Bath.
“Overall, the experience was amazing,” Gibb said. “It really taught us that the dedication needed to play rugby at this level is high, but with the right mentality it can be achieved.”
A few hundred miles west, in Devon, the Knox brothers lived like full-time players for their week with Championship club Albion.
Kyle, who broke into the Abu Dhabi Harlequins first-team last season, and Fraser took part in a full schedule of training, which began at 07:00 sharp each morning.
Despite only recently returning from a holiday in the US, the brothers were pushed into the deep end, that is a pre-season fitness test. And bar a day off to watch the London Olympics, it didn’t get much easier for them as they joined in with the club’s conditioning sessions in Devonport.
“It really showed the huge leap from amateur to professional rugby,” Fraser said. “The boys at Plymouth were extremely focused on their job and made my brother and me feel very welcome during the week.
“After that fitness test on the first day I don’t think I will ever experience something tougher again in my life!”
Lewsey was delighted to be able to offer his players such a unique experience and hopes they will be able to take the lessons they have learned into the season ahead.
“It’s fantastic to be able to give some of our most talented players the opportunity of learning and playing with top-class players,” he said.
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