“Working on my kicking has been pretty challenging”, says Tayla Kinsey

As a scrumhalf, one would expect Tayla Kinsey to be creative, but this Springbok Women’s player admits she has surprised even herself during lockdown by training with bricks as barbell weights and trying to use a tent to design a kicking net.

The talented No 9 is one of a lucky few who has access to a decent home gym thanks to her job as a coach at a sports academy for children, and equipment she has accumulated on her own, but despite this she has had to figure out ways to adapt her weight training and work on her kicking to keep fit and game ready.

“I have my work equipment at home and as a result a good training set-up, with ladders and agility poles among other things, so I am quite lucky in terms of my training,” said Kinsey.

“I also bought myself a set of dumbbells and a few other home gym products when the Springbok Women’s season concluded last year, which has really come in handy.

“We have an old barbell at home, but I don’t have weights for it, so I broke a brick in half and used that as weights, and it worked. Now I use a brick or two on each side of the barbell. It sounds very strange, but it works well,” Kinsey said with a chuckle.

“Working on my kicking has been pretty challenging though because even though we have a garden, it is not conducive to proper kicking practice, so I am planning to try to make a kicking net of sorts using a tent or something I have at home.

“My thinking is to tie it to trees or possibly create a stable frame if possible, so I’ll probably be working on that in the next few days. If it works, at least I will be able to work on some aspects of my kicking.

“Over and above that the resistance bands I received from SA Rugby have also been valuable in terms of my training.”

Kinsey anticipated a quick start to the rugby season when the lockdown is over, which has kept her motivated in terms of her training. But she admits that with limited options to keep busy and entertained at home, her daily training programme is a highlight.

“It is very important to keep match ready because I believe we may go straight into the club season for College Rovers when things return to normal, and perhaps even the provincial season for KwaZulu-Natal, so I make sure I train every day,” she said.

“With little else to do apart from some work, my training has certainly been something to look forward to.”

Work wise Kinsey has been making home training videos to keep active the children she coaches through the sport academy during the lockdown.

“We usually work with schools and sports facilities, but since everything is closed we are making daily videos which are sent to the parents,” she said.

“Either the children can do it, or it gives the family something to do together because it is important mentally and physically for everyone to keep active during this time.”

Being a socialite who loves going to the beach, Kinsey admits that she misses spending time with friends and warm days at the ocean, but she said it is vital for everyone to follow the government’s advice to keep safe to flatten the curve in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.