The meticulous planning will see an extended training squad announced towards the end of the 2018/19 domestic season. After the conclusion of their final match each player will receive four weeks off before linking up with the training squad at Wales’ state-of-the-art National Centre of Excellence (NCE) at the Vale Resort. The rolling start will see all players in camp towards the end of June.
Boasting altitude and cryotherapy chambers and a temperature controlled indoor training facility, the NCE will be home to the training squad for the summer as they undergo a rigorous schedule.
In July the squad will return to the Swiss Alps for a fortnight and their training base of Fiesch, the same venue they used ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. They will ‘live high’ and ‘train low’ in the resort and will return home to face back-to-back fixtures against England at Twickenham (August 11) and Principality Stadium respectively (August 17).
The squad will then train in the heat of Turkey in the purpose built Gloria Sports Arena before flying home for their final two preparations matches. Wales will face Ireland in Cardiff on August 31st following which in the following week their RWC 31-man squad will be announced. They then face the return fixture in Dublin on September 7.
Wednesday September 11th will see the squad depart for Japan and the Rugby World Cup. Their preparations continue in the host country as they touchdown early, ahead of their official welcome date, and undertake a further training camp in the city of Kitakyushu (More details on Wales’ training camp in Kitakyushu and the WRU’s partnership with the city can be found HERE).
The 2019 schedule is just another element of a detailed plan Wales’ management have put in place to prepare the squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and team manager Alan Phillips is delighted with the schedule.
“If you look at our plan, I think it’s perfect,” he said.
“We have put everything in place in order to give the training squad as much preparation as possible. We were really pleased with our approach in 2011 and 2015 and we believe 2019 will be as good.
“Fiesch is fantastic for altitude training and we really benefited from it in 2015. Turkey gives us the heat training we require and with it being a bit closer than Doha if gives us an opportunity for some family time with players flying their families out during part of the camp.
“Next year is extremely hectic with a lot of time away from home, so that element is really important to us as a squad.”
The start of 2019 will also see further preparation for the squad as they embark on a training camp in the south of France between their opening two Six Nations fixtures in Paris and Rome.
“All the planning for the World Cup is in place. Our preparation will be spot on, there is no doubt about that,” Phillips added.
“We’ll be strong and we’ve got a good group of players. There is a new one for us now in terms of the Six Nations with us staying away after France and before the Italy game rather than coming back.
“We’re using it as a World Cup preparation camp because that is what Warren wanted.”
Wales’ 2019 summer fixtures: (KO times and broadcast details TBC)
England v Wales (Twickenham) Sunday August 11.
Wales v England (Principality Stadium) Saturday August 17.
Wales v Ireland (Principality Stadium) Saturday August 31.
Ireland v Wales (Aviva Stadium) Saturday September 7
Wales’ 2019 preparations revealed
Wales’ Rugby World Cup preparations will see them scale the heights of the Swiss Alps, face heat exposure in Turkey and touchdown early in Japan all to ensure they kick off their campaign at the game’s showpiece tournament next year with the best possible preparation.
