Rugby
Red Bull Stress Test: England Rugby take on the Kamaz
Watch what happened when the England men's rugby team went toe-to-tyre with an 8.5-ton Dakar behemoth
Move four incredibly heavy tyres. Catch some sky-high balls. Pull an 8.5-ton truck. These are the basic tasks facing the England men's rugby team in Red Bull Stress Test – a team bonding exercise that's far from your average day at the beach.
In preparation for their autumn internationals, the team travelled to Jersey to take on a unique mental and physical workout. It would hone their ability to handle decision-making when fatigued and under pressure, and test their Pro mindset to the max. Oh, and it would pit them against a 1,000hp colossus of the Dakar Rally, too...
11 min
Red Bull Stress Test: England Rugby vs. the Kamaz
England Rugby take on the Kamaz, in the ultimate test of body and mind.
England men's Head Coach Eddie Jones is always looking for new ways to strengthen the bonds between his players. Red Bull Stress Test proved to be the energiser they needed and just the right blend of assault course and Mensa puzzle.
"We wanted a physical challenge, a mental challenge, and something that brings them together – and I think they got all three," says Jon Clarke, the RFU's Head of Strength & Conditioning.
Here's how Red Bull Stress Test works...
Red Bull Stress Test: The Challenge Explained
32 players took on Red Bull Stress Test
© André Kunze
The players were divided into four teams
© André Kunze
The players had to move four 150kg tyres in four different ways
© André Kunze
Red Bull Stress Test: the tyre challenge
© André Kunze
For the first round, players had to carry the wheel 200m
© André Kunze
For the second round, the players had to flip the wheel
© André Kunze
In round three, the players had to pull the tyres on a sled
© André Kunze
In round four, the players had a free choice for how to move the tyres
© André Kunze
Red Bull Stress Test had one more surprise in store...
© André Kunze
The Kamaz weighs almost three times as much as the England men's pack
© André Kunze
“The boys have got no idea what’s happening,” says Jon Clarke, England Rugby’s Head of Strength & Conditioning, speaking on the day of the challenge. “They know it’s a Red Bull day, they know it’s going to be a bit of fun, but they know it’s going to be hard work as well..."
Split into four groups, the players have to complete four lengths of a rugby pitch, carrying/pulling/flipping a hefty tyre, in a race against their team-mates.
Before they start, however, there is a small problem – their tyre is chained to the sand with a lock for which they have to guess the combination.
“The codes are hidden on the top of the crossbar, there’s a clue on the bottom of a spade," says Clarke.
If 150kg isn't heavy enough already, the players also have to carry extra sandbags on top of the tyres, with a penalty imposed for any that are dropped to the floor. And they aren't the only things they have to keep from hitting the ground, either – an additional, panic-inducing task happens at random intervals, heralded by a siren...
"We also have [local rugby team] Jersey Reds players on the sidelines kicking some [balls] onto the pitch," explains Clarke. "The players can’t let them touch the sand.”
And, when they think they’ve finished their lengths, there is a surprise challenge: a tug-of-war with a Kamaz Master truck.
“Once the four teams have finished the race, the Kamaz truck’s going to come down into the middle of the pitch. They’re going to have to work out how to move it down the pitch, through the trench and to the other side.”
And the driver’s not going to make it easy for them either. “He’s going to put some reverse in the engine as well. I think the Kamaz is about eight-and-half tons, which is probably three times the amount of weight the boys have got, so they’re going to have pull pretty hard to get over the line – it should be good fun.”
What does Red Bull Stress Test reveal to the coaching team?
“The first thing we’re looking for is hard work,” says Clarke. “The second thing we want is for them to come together as a team and the third thing is problem solving – can they do it on their own? Can they adapt under fatigue?
How to cope with sledging: England's players drag a Kamaz wheel
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
England players fuel during the challenge
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
“We’re looking for leaders,” he continues. “We know who the leaders are in the team but in these situations you always tend to get different ones that come to the fore.”
The Kamaz cuts a line through the surf in Jersey
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
The Kamaz is an all-terrain terror
© Patrik Lundin/Red Bull Content Pool
After the challenge: did it work?
Speaking afterwards, Clarke believes Red Bull Stress Test was a big success: “It was an incredible experience,” he says. “They’ve come together as a team and managed to move that Kamaz down the field.
“I think the highlight was watching the boys problem solve at the beginning and then doing the same again with the truck, even when the fatigue kicked in.”
View from the Kamaz: the England pack dig in
© Red Bull
“One of the things we try and instil in the lads is [that] they compete to the end, no matter the result or outcome,” explains Clarke. “I think that was evident with this challenge, even when the driver puts it in reverse, the boys never gave up. Big tick for the boys.
“We wanted a physical challenge, a mental challenge, and, and something that brings them together – and I think they got all three.”
Strength and conditioning is a massive part of preparing the players, so this all just fits into the bigger picture
The lessons learnt from Red Bull Stress Test, believes Clarke, will be taken onto the pitch.
“When you do something like this, you’re just looking for a link back to the game or back to your sport,” he says. “And the physical, the problem-solving, the teamwork, the camaraderie is a massive part of rugby. Strength and conditioning is a massive part of preparing the players, so this all just fits into the bigger picture.”
The mental side was also key. “We’re looking to see how boys cope under pressure, because that is a big thing in first-class rugby. Who can handle the pressure? Who can cope with it?
Who can deal with it? Who can lean into it? And that’s exactly what we wanted to see with this Red Bull Stress Test today – are the boys leaning into stress? Now you want the boys to recall these experiences at times when they need them. They know they’ve been tired; they know they’ve had to problem-solve in this situation, which is exactly what they’re going to get in a game.”
I think amateur teams could do something similar
Clarke believes he's seen the leaders stand-up in the challenge, namechecking Joe Marler ("he really led his group"), Jamie Blamire ("he grabbed hold of it today") and Tom Curry ("he really stepped up"), but knowing it benefited the group as a whole.
While not every club has access to Kamaz Master truck or even a beach, Clarke does think this kind of exercise can be replicated ay any level. “I think amateur teams could do something similar,” he says. “They could set something up on the field like this, where they use weights or even each other as weights, if they don’t have equipment.
“I think you’ve just got to add a physical aspect, bring in some problem-solving to test their brains a little bit under fatigue, and it costs nothing, just be as creative as possible.”