Rugby: Fitness focus for star Kody Lancaster

Kody Lancaster (right) and Sateeva Wharekawa at the Central Health gym in Waipukurau. Photo/Paul Taylor

Central premier club rugby player Kody Lancaster couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

"Yes I spend all week telling everyone how to get fit and I don't do enough myself. I could be a lot fitter."

However the Central Health sports co-ordinator, who regularly designs fitness programmes for at-risk youth, must be doing okay on the fitness front as he produced a player-of-the-match performance for Northfuels Central in their 50-7 walloping of Tamatea at Central Park on Saturday. That performance led him to become the second weekly winner in this season's Tui-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award.

What made the feat more significant is the fact it was only Lancaster's second premier game as a loose forward after playing as a winger last year.

"I'm enjoying it in the forwards. Playing out on the wing can get a bit boring unless you come in looking for work," Lancaster said.

The Central Hawke's Bay College product last played as a loosie during his Ross Shield days when he played alongside Magpies and Highlanders player Richard Buckman in both the Central and Hawke's Bay teams. Upon leaving secondary school he had a working stint in Australia before returning to Waipukurau in time for the 2013 rugby season.

"Saturday's win was massive for the team's confidence. I believe we've got the potential to finish mid table in both the Nash Cup and Maddison Trophy competitions," Lancaster said. "Hopefully we can get a few more wins for the boys and for the community."

Lancaster, 24, pointed out this season's Central team is a lot different from last year. He said having two coaches in Rob Evans and fellow former Magpie Exham Wichman plus a player-coach in former Sevens star Tafai Ioasa is a big advantage.

With Ioasa and Wichman, both former Magpies loosies, and Evans - a 1999 New Zealand under-19 world champion lock - Lancaster has the ideal mentors to pick up tips about the finer points of loose forward play.

A father of a four-and-a-half month old child, Lancaster, was quick to reply when asked who is the toughest player he has marked in club competition. "That has to be Buckman who was on the wing for Tech when we played them in a game last year. He is a different creature to the little twig he was during our Ross Shield days ... he has bulked up big time."

Lancaster agreed his job is the ideal form of extra training a premier club rugby player must do in addition to the team's training sessions if they are to be competitive with the best players in the competition.

Another aspect of being a Central team member he enjoys is doing the promotional work for the White Ribbon Appeal.

"We're really pushing the violence against women is not okay message."

When Lancaster isn't working, playing or training for rugby or looking after his infant child he's likely relaxing by playing Xbox games.

Although if he continues to feel guilty about his fitness levels those couch sessions might become less.