Foreword from "Jim Blair's Rugby Fitness"

Every now and then, after sports training has been proceeding relatively smoothly with little change, someone comes along and looks at sport from a different angle and suggests and promotes revolutionary changes.  Arthur Lydiard was such a person in the early 1980's.

As far as team sports training is concerned, we now have Jim Blair, who changed our training methods by looking at the specific requirements of each player, analysing them, and giving that player an individual programme for his or her specialised position within the team.

I was lucky enough to be involved with Jim Blair in the lead-up to, and during, the 1987 World Cup rugby contest.

His fitness testing of a large squad of players, some four months before the cup, putting them on individual programmes for their specialised positions and helping them overcome their weaknesses detected in the testing, all contributed to their eventual success.

I had no doubt that we had the fittest and best prepared team in the World Cup and this was due in no small part to Jim Blair.

We also used him on occasions during the contest itself for two reasons - first to put the All Blacks through meaningful warmup exercises, and second to have someone outside the team give us a gauge on the physical and mental fitness of the players.

I believe Jim Blair has a put a breath of fresh air into the approach of players and coaches to rugby training, and, in turn, has helped us to keep ahead of other rugby nations.  I know this has applied to other sports as well.

Brian Lochore. former All Black captain and coach of 1987 World Cup Champions (All Blacks)