We know they’re good at flying on the rugby field, but how do the Australian Men’s Sevens handle flying a Qantas plane?

Last week some of them had the opportunity to find out during a visit to the Qantas facilities in Sydney as part of their Advanced Diploma of Management organised through RUPA’s Player Development Program (PDP).

Lewis Holland may have experienced pressure on the world rugby stage but doubts whether he could manage it as a pilot or flight attendant.

“The flight simulator was unbelievably life-like. The feeling of G-force as you take off, the tilt of the machine, it was all a very real experience,” Lewis said.

As part of the excursion, the players were taken on a tour of some of the Qantas aircraft and their emergency procedures training centre.

“It was really interesting. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I came away with much more appreciation for flight attendants and the cabin crew and the role they play with the safety for passengers on board.

“Luckily enough, I haven’t been involved in any real life incident where the flight attendants have needed to implement any safety procedures, so it was pretty full-on and a little scary to see what it’s actually like when you have to put on the life jackets and get into a brace position,” Lewis said.

The visit provides a productive and practical means for players to experience real-life situations in commercial environments as part of the Advanced Diploma of Management, which continues to be enjoyed by professional players, including members of the NSW Waratahs in 2014.

The course, run by the Central Coast Community College, is delivered in-house to Australia’s professional Sevens and Super Rugby players throughout the season to suit their busy timetables.

It is organised by RUPA’s Player Development Managers who, employed directly by RUPA, work within each of the five Australian Super Rugby teams to support players with their personal and professional development away from the rugby field.

As a core component of RUPA’s objectives, the PDP ensures professional players have some type of career training or education to fall back on for when their rugby playing days are over.

Whilst it is difficult to balance a professional rugby career with a training course or study, players are aware of the benefits.

“It isn’t easy trying to collaborate a bunch of different envornments together. It can be pretty stressful if I’m away playing and I have some work to do. Although, it’s definitely easier to focus on my footy when I have something else going on behind-the-scenes," Lewis said.

Hopefully that will assist come this weekend when the Aussies turn their focus back to their quest for Olympics qualification at the Oceania Sevens Championship in Auckland.

In Pool A, they are set to face Tonga, the Cook Islands and Nauru. Should they get through that stage, they could be up against the likes of Samoa, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa or the Soloman Islands in the other Pool B.

It, however, is a scenario Lewis Holland is more certain of how to manage.

“We have to make sure that we turn up and do our job. It’s a great opportunity for us to find some form – hopefully we can do just that.”

From left: Lewis Holland, NSW Waratahs & National Sevens Player Development Manager Lachlan McBain, NSW Waratahs Logistics Manager Sam Cashman, Tom Cusack and Tom Lucas at the Qantas emergency procedures training centre