Arrowtown School made room for 30 Cowboys yesterday afternoon and, while the teachers did the corralling of the pupils, the Cowboys cracked the whip.
Players from the Townsville-based NRL club, which fell one game short of last year’s grand final, have been in Queenstown since Saturday before the start of their season early next month.
Those in the resort include four-time Dally M Medal player of the year Johnathan Thurston, widely regarded as the best player in the world, and joint 2016 Dally M winner Jason Taumalolo, who also plays for the Kiwis.
Coach Paul Green said it was the team’s first visit to the resort and players had been combining "a bit of hard work" with team-building exercises away from the Queensland heat.
The team yesterday took part in an adventure-style race around the Wakatipu, organised by Queenstown company Preaseason.
Company owner Matt Rhodes said there was a fair bit of controversy at the finish line of the half-day adventure sports training programme.
"They did it quicker than they were supposed to ... When you’ve got athletes of that calibre the competitive nature comes out and they just really want to win."
The race took the team — divided into groups — up, down and all around the basin, including quick dips in lakes after runs and the navigation of Arrowtown School’s obstacle course.
The players were paired with a child from the school as they negotiated climbing walls, monkey bars and tunnels, among other things not designed for grown men.And while the children were keen to execute every obstacle, players, who encouraged, lifted and caught their team-mates, were not afraid to make them skip bits — all in the name of glory.
