London Welsh rugby union national division one side recently spent time at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM), Lympstone, Devon. The team who play at Old Deer Park, Richmond Upon Thames conducted an element of their pre-season training at the Centre.

The trip to Devon was welcome opportunity for the team known as the “Dragons” to train together before the season starts again. They had an insight into training Royal Marines style by participating in a demanding regime of arduous physical training and gruelling team based exercises. 

The package started with a vigorous warm up before being introduced to the assault course and undertaking a timed team challenge carrying several items of equipment over the course.
 
The training concluded with a run around the infamous endurance course and a 4-mile run back to CTCRM carrying a log.  This final challenge tested the mental and physical resolve of the squad, with some members of the squad commenting “that this was the hardest thing they had ever done”

Captain Erik Nielsen RM who organised the event said, “The aim of today was to really push the squad above and beyond their normal comfort zone both physically and mentally, assessing how they would cope during the last 10 minutes of a crunch match”.