Following their challenging first week back for pre-season training, the Somerset players face an even more gruelling week ahead.

On Monday and Tuesday the squad of eighteen will spend time at Centre Parcs which is at Longleat in Wiltshire.

Whilst they are there they will be taking part in the new Company Action Challenge, which will include rock climbing and a rope challenge.

Head of injury prevention Darren Veness told me: "On the first day they will be challenged by an obstacle course which will be very testing for them all, and then on the second day they will be spend a little time relaxing before preparing for the next day."

On Wednesday the Somerset squad will be spending all day at the Royal Marine Commando Training Centre at Lympstone in Devon.

Fitness instructor Andy Hurry, himself a former Royal Marine told me: "The whole day is targetted at team building. First thing in the morning they will all undertake the assault course working as teams taking a telegraph pole round the course, which will be interesting to say the least!

"Later in the morning they will go down to the River Exe estuary and work on the beach in the mud, with activities like touch rugby, and then after lunch they will go out on the water in small craft."

On Thursday the Somerset players return to Millfield School where they will be continuing with their specific sprint training out on the tartan track, and then in the afternoon there will be a pairs badminton competition.

The players will then have the Easter break before reporting back on Tuesday to step their training up another gear when they focus more upon their technical ability under the supervision of Coach Kevin Shine and his assistant Mark Garaway.

© SOMERSET