England coach: rugby worse than bungy

Richard Wigglesworth of England runs with the ball during training session on September 2. His coach Martin Johnson says this is a lot more dangerous than any 'extreme sport'. Photo / NZ Herald

Rugby training is far more dangerous than Queenstown's "extreme sports", England rugby coach Martin Johnson says.

He was responding to criticism from a coaching predecessor over the team's recreational activities.

After copping flack from former England coach Dick Best, Johnson said yesterday his side is full of "big boys".

"What they do at training is far more dangerous than what they were doing," he said when prompted by media at the team's press conference.

The 2003 World Cup winning captain said as well as being in New Zealand for rugby rugby, the players were also here to enjoy themselves and find a balance.

But they didn't go skiing because that would be "too risky".

Best had said he was surprised seven players had taken part in a series of "extreme sports" including the Shotover Jet and bungy jump in Queenstown.

Players Tom Palmer, James Haskell, Nick Easter, Chris Ashton, Simon Shaw, Dylan Hartley and Ben Foden took part in jet-boating, a helicopter ride and white water rafting on Monday.

Best, a former British and Irish Lions coach also, raised questions over whether the players had breached their contracts with the England Rugby Football Union.

He said the activities were not something he would have allowed players under him to do.

Johnson said what the players are doing while in Queenstown was completely normal for professional rugby players to be doing during a world cup.

England halfback Ben Youngs was not one of the players who took part in the activity day, but said this was merely because he is "petrified of heights."

"Obviously we train very very hard. It's a lot of pressure and you're always sort of working hard and it is nice to be able to just relax and get away from the world cup even if its just for half an hour, an hour of doing that."

"It's good fun and its great that they let us do it."