On Tour with the Emirates Lions Ep 4

2020-03-06

The Emirates Lions’ tour of Australia is drawing to close rapidly as they prepare for their Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Rebels in AAMI Park on Saturday evening (Australia time).

The training session on Thursday took place in extreme wet conditions. The training field at the Box Hill Football Club looked like a wetlands of sorts with birdlife and a semi-river flowing next to the field. It was the first time that any of us experienced a rugby field with ducks swimming on it.

But despite the wet conditions it was a very good session and the boys started to look very sharp and focused with hardly a ball that was dropped.

Of course someone had to ‘play’ in the water and coach Sean was the lucky one to be chased through the water by prop Jannie du Plessis.

The management had their traditional management dinner, this time at an Indian restaurant, and enjoyed some quality curry dishes while the players all stayed at the hotel and had a quiet dinner before retiring to their rooms.

Friday morning was made up of a quick discussion session in the team room with a quick recap of the most important points before embarking on the bus to the venue for the captains run at AAMI Park.

As the Rebels aren’t the only sporting team to utilize this spectacular stadium as their home ground, the captains run took place on Gosch’s Paddock, one of the outside fields (the Rebels also use this field as their regular training field). Only the kickers and hookers were allowed on the field for half an hour after the captains run to get a feel for the field.

The field is immaculate and one of the better we have ever encountered.

About AAMI Park

Located about 1km to the east of the CBD and nestled between the Yarra River and the MCG, AAMI Park features a cutting-edge Bioframe design with a geodesic dome roof which substantially covers the seating area. The beauty of the design is that spectators will enjoy unobstructed views, free from pillars, walls or other support structures. This design required 50 per cent less steel than a typical stadium roof of the same size.

Built on Edwin Flack field, AAMI Park rivals the world’s best in becoming a world-class event and sports administration complex. It also features a sports campus, including an elite training centre and office accommodation that rivals the world’s best.

Victoria's burgeoning rugby and soccer codes have long awaited a dedicated stadium to accommodate elite level crowds in way that provides the intimate viewing experience afforded by purpose built venues. AAMI Park provides the missing link in Melbourne’s sporting infrastructure for a medium sized rectangular pitch stadium.

Playing tenants include A-League's Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City, National Rugby League's Melbourne Storm and Melbourne's Super Rugby team the Melbourne Rebels. Melbourne Football Club also use AAMI Park as an administration base whilst Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre, Imaging@Olympic Park, Tennis Victoria and the Victorian Olympic Council have taken up residence.

Capacity: 30 050

The whole team had a leisurely dinner in the team room while watching the Waratahs vs Chiefs match and again retired to their rooms early.

The team departs for Auckland early on Sunday morning and will come straight back to the hotel after the game tonight.

Annemie Bester