McRae: Tenerife camp vital for Hull

Hull Director of Rugby Shaun McRae says their pre-season tour to Tenerife is vital, as a number of new faces get integrated within the squad.

The Airlie Birds, under new coach Peter Gentle, have made a number of new signings in key positions, with Wade McKinnon, Brett Seymour and Aaron Heremaia all joining in the close season.

They left the country for a warm weather training camp in Tenerife on Saturday, and McRae is pleased with how things are going.

He told the club’s official website: “The weather here is absolutely brilliant – it’s a far cry from a chilly England training ground.

“At the moment, Peter Gentle is getting them to work on their set plays. There’s a lot of new moves to learn for the new season and this week is a great chance for the lads to hone their plans, systems and strategies under the watchful eye of Peter, Andy Hay and Lee Radford. 

“The coaching team are really keen to get them to work on their combinations. We have a lot of new faces, particularly in key positions, and it’s vital they learn how each other thinks and plays. 

“That was a big factor in our thinking to come out to Tenerife in the first place. It really is a vital week in our pre-season, but we couldn’t be happier with how it’s gone so far.”

Meanwhile, Hull have confirmed that they will face Bradford in Lee Radford‘s Testimonial on Sunday January 29th at the KC Stadium (3pm kick-off).

For a full list of pre-season friendlies, please click here.