British tennis player Emma Raducanu and Brighton and Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler were both guests at the English men’s rugby union training camp this week.
Head coach Steve Borthwick, speaking before facing New Zealand at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, said the duo’s presence was to talk to his players and share experiences with them.
Raducanu became the youngest female player to win a Grand Slam title in 17 years when she won the 2021 US Open, while Germany’s Hurzeler is the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history.
“We had Fabian Hurzeler, the Brighton manager, he brilliantly shared his experiences and spoke to the team this morning which was great,” said Borthwick.
“Emma Raducanu visited today and it is always a learning experience to have top athletes like Emma Raducanu visit and share her experiences, her preparations for sport and international competitions at the highest level with the players.
“We are very grateful that she came to visit and with her provisions it has been a good week so far.”
Borthwick felt that in Raducanu’s case, she could share her individual experiences with tennis, which he thought could help his team, which is more accustomed to team sports.
“I think the players were journalists in the rounds, just talking in the contrast around individual preparation and the need to feel that everything is right. For a tennis player alone on the court, individual preparation is everything,” Borthwick added.
“For a team athlete it is always a matter of finding that balance, but we still have to maximize that individual preparation.”
In addition to the duo, former England players Chris Ashton, Mako Vunipola and Danny Care also visited the England team this week.
“Luckily we have the opportunity to sometimes receive people, like this week, and you take them with you as learning experiences.
“I think part of developing this team is adding levels of experience and adding reference points, conversations we’ve had and lessons we’ve captured that we can refer to in the future.
“All these experiences come back to our camp and sharing them with us is important for our development.”
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