A Vitality Roses playing group have come together for their first training camp of the 2022-23 international season.
With the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport the setting, it’s been a busy first week for the players and Performance team.
Amongst the group are seven of the selected Team England players who will compete at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham from 29 July – 7 August.
There are also five new players in the Vitality Roses programme; Zara Everitt, Funmi Fadoju and Olivia Tchine, who all moved up from the Future Roses for 2022-23, and Alice Harvey and Ellie Rattu, who shared her first impressions of camp.
Most of the group arrived on Monday morning and after familiarising themselves in Stellenbosch, they had a light gym session to stretch their muscles.
After a long-haul flight, the players go through a landing plan to get their bodies moving and to acclimatise to their new surroundings. This is made up of a couple of gym sessions and some light work on court.
Rest and recovery is all important so the group also enjoyed a scenic trip through the valley to Franschhoek, the French corner of the Cape, where the main streets are lined with restaurants and coffee shops.
In the second week, the team will take part in a series of behind-closed-doors training games as preparations continue ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
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