Rugby: Technically, no shirking is allowed

Highlanders Jason Macdonald (left) and Adam Thomson (right) talk to Jamie Macintosh while wearing heart rate and GPS monitors at training at Logan Park yesterday. Photo by Peter McIntosh.

The Highlanders are wearing electronic devices with heart rate monitors and GPS tracking devices during training, which Highlanders strength and conditioning coach Matt Dallow said were another training tool which should help the players and coaching staff develop their game.

"The devices measure how far they run and at what intensity. It can show them how many metres they cover and at what speed and their heart rate changes," Dallow said.

"So instead of guys saying they have had a hard training we can look at these devices and find out if they are really working hard."

In the longest session of the week, a game simulation practice, players cover about 7.5km around the paddock over a couple of hours, but that will not necessarily be the hardest practice.

"They could have shorter, sharper sessions which would have more intensity and be just as tough."

The devices, valued at $3500 each, were on loan from the Otago Polytechnic and had been trialled over the past couple of years, but were being used by every player this season.

Dallow said findings showed tight forwards covered a lot of ground but mostly at the same speed.

Loose forwards and outside backs covered just as much ground and had more bursts of speed.

Dallow said the latest type of these devices, which the Highlanders do not yet have, can measure G-forces and power ratios.

That meant players who could be coming back from injury, for example an injured foot, could be measured on how much pressure was being put on the foot, or whether they were still favouring the injury.