Rugby World Cup

The England coaches© (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

England coach Stuart Lancaster has prioritised improving his team's conditioning in the run up to the Rugby World Cup and he has targeted his side being the fittest in the tournament.

England's players seem to be in for an intense summer of fitness when they arrive at Pennyhill Park on June 21. Their pre-World Cup plans include a two-week spell in Denver where they will train at altitude thanks to the facilities at Glendale Rugby Town.

"In order to win the World Cup, you have to be the fittest team," Lancaster said. "And the type of game we want to play, it is probably the most important thing that we need to get right. It is going to be pretty grim for the players in Denver. It is tough there. We are then going to Vail, which is even higher.

"Training at altitude improves aerobic capacity and it is a more effective way of stripping body fat. So they should come back leaner and fitter. That altitude effect won't last until September 18 but what it will do is enhance the players."

And central to Lancaster's emphasis on conditioning is England's relationship with the clubs where they share data. Lancaster added: "That's something that's really been enhanced in the last three years, and we've now got individual player development plans that are joint between club and country - and we've never had that before.

"The data of every training session gets shared with the club and they share theirs with us. That cannot be achieved with anything other than English clubs because you do not get access to the players and you do not get the relationship. It is not remotely the same. That's one of the huge benefits of players playing in England."