A more critical fitness component for a winger would be speed, in sports terms, it is defined as ‘the ability to move quickly across the ground or move limbs rapidly to grab or throw’ (Top End Sports). The significance of this component determines whether you can beat and catch opponents. In this case, both positions use this factor, but the winger uses it frequently compared to the middle. Another common factor used by a winger is agility, sports terms meaning ‘the ability to move and change direction and position of the body quickly and effectively while under control’ (VeryWell Fit, 2017). A study completed by Touch Football Australia using a GPS to track and athlete playing touch football. As seen in figure 1 it shows the sharp turns, in this example the player was playing the role of a middle.
Sharp turns would occur more often for a winger this is why it is important for this part of fitness to be optimised. Agility can prevent a player from tagging you, and even determine whether you score. The ability to change directions quickly can shift your opponent’s centre of gravity giving you an advantage (Touch Dump).
