Pinfold called to NZ Under 20s
Regardless of who makes the cut for the New Zealand Under 20s this year, Manawatu will have a representative in the form of trainer Scott Pinfold.
The Turbos’ head trainer joined the team for the first time at their last training camp in Palmerston North earlier this month.
He will continue with the Turbos while handling his new responsibilities. Pinfold said it was great to be able to work with a team known as the production line for the All Blacks.
‘‘This is the cream of the crop,’’ he said. ‘‘It is an exciting opportunity and I am excited for the challenge.’’
He believed his time working with Manawatu in the NPC would set him up well for the Junior World Championship in Georgia in June. ‘‘The World Cup tournament itself is fairly similar to the [NPC] in that there are short turnarounds,’’ he said.
For Pinfold it is another important step up the ranks in his career.
Pinfold gave up playing rugby in his late teens after getting ACL reconstruction in his knee only to injure it again. But his passion for sport never wained and it did not take him long to turn that into his profession.
He joined the Manawatu Rugby Union straight out of Otago University in 2008, working with the academy.
By 2011, he was appointed as the Turbos’ head trainer.
‘‘I studied down in Otago physical education and exercise prescription. It was always the dream to work in rugby. I was really fortunate to get the job from there and I have not looked back since.’’
He has already been getting stuck into the Turbos’ off season testing and was pleased how the team was stacking up physically this year.
‘‘Everything is shaping up alright,’’ he said. ‘‘We did some testing a couple of weeks ago and our boys have had a good offseason. They have put on weight – in a goods way – and are stronger and all the guys are in pretty good fitness shape as well for this time of the season.’’
Putting on weight has been a challenge for many Manawatu rugby players. Pinfold said the advice he gives is simple: ‘‘Lots of hard work in the gym, lots of hard work eating the right stuff and lots of discipline around what and when they eat it’’.