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New Wave for Kennedy
Tobogganing on a snow-covered hillside is an age-old activity for all the family to enjoy - until the frostbite kicks in of course - but tobogganing in the world of England rugby international Nick Kennedy is altogether more gruelling, as he tells Sporting Goods Business with relish when discussing his training regime.
"The toboggans we use have a spike on it so you can put weights on," says Kennedy, a 6"8' second row forward who weighs around 112 kg. "You wear a strap across your shoulders and off you go, with the toboggan dragging along behind you. It is a very good resistance exercise. It's a power drill, so it's short and sharp, and at London Irish we do it once a week.
"We have races in twos normally to make sure no-one is slacking off, and as we are all so competitive we all want to win every little challenge. I actually enjoy the races because whenever I go against anyone else in the tight five at London Irish I always win! I am one of the quickest forwards at Irish so the races are fine by me."
It all sounds very taxing, even if this exercise is carried out on a slick surface of artificial turf, and even if Kennedy is wearing his new Mizuno Wave Creation trainers, built with what Mizuno describes as "maximum cushioning with a luxurious fit and feel". First-rate cushioning is vital for a rugby forward who is routinely launched into the air by a pair of similarly sized XXL teammates.
"We do a lot of line-out training on Astroturf," explains Kennedy, "and it is crucial you are wearing a well cushioned, well-fitted shoe when you are being lifted by a couple of guys who are 6'8", who simply drop you at the top of the lift. You learn to take your trainers seriously when you are landing from those heights on a regular basis, but the Wave Creation is also a great shoe to cope with the impact on your joints of simply running."
In terms of boots, Kennedy switches between Mizuno's lightweight Morelia football boot and the Wave Samurai rugby boot - which has an extra stud in the middle of the ball of the foot, which Kennedy says provides excellent grip for scrummaging and tackling.
"Being a second row forward, a position where scrummaging is very important, I really like the extra stud in the Wave Samurai," says Kennedy. "Basically, I don't think you get enough purchase in the scrum with a six-stud boot, and the extra stud makes a big difference. I have always worn a very light boot and the Wave Samurai is also very light, very comfortable and durable."
"Our core rugby products are boots," says John Hooper, European promotions co-ordinator for Mizuno. "We produce the best technical boots possible for all standards of player, from the professional to the club player, and right down to kids. The Wave Samurai and the Timaru are our two best selling boots and they provide maximum support and comfort."
Kennedy is one of over 100 professional players in the Guinness Premiership and Magners League who are supported by Mizuno, the brand that has past affiliations with both the All Blacks and Wallabies.
But the question that remains is that if the toboggan drills aren't dreadful for Kennedy, what is the toughest element of training for rugby at the highest level?
"The painful bit is fitness conditioning," admits Kennedy, "when we have to do lots of downs and ups, lots of running between cones - maybe only 20 metres apart. Sprint, get down, get up, sprint back, with lots of repetition and only short breaks, and that can be very painful. We do loads of that work in pre-season, and normally once a week mid-season."
Kennedy collected seven England caps last season, and the agile lock is in line to get another chance this term. His speed on the pitch, over short distances and with very little recovery time, and for which he is so well conditioned, will be one of Kennedy's attributes that could earn him a regular place in Martin Johnson's team.
