Boxing & Rugby Training: Hall vs. Field

The Premier League clubs in the wintery Netherlands that are preparing for the restart of the competition this week – if it goes ahead – are going to great lengths to arrange training hours.

From a call on X for a playable training field to boxing and rugby with the selection. A tour along the fields.

THE: The people of Alkmaar are lucky to have an indoor training field with artificial grass. RKC Waalwijk also trained there earlier this week and AZ is doing the same. The team is now in a hotel in nearby Akersloot to prepare for the second half of the season.

NAC: This is where they were most creative these days. “We went boxing and rugby,” says a spokesperson. “For fitness and team spirit. We did this at high intensity, so that we enter 2026 with a sharp focus. From today we can train on a cleaned field.”

FC Utrecht: Ron Jans’ team has moved to a field in Rotterdam, because its own fields are snowed under.

PEC Zwolle: The club was on a training camp in North Brabant, but returned early due to snowfall. A practice match was cancelled. An artificial grass field was cleared of snow in Zwolle on Monday and the selection will complete its training on that. Because heavy snow is expected again on Wednesday, they will train there today instead of tomorrow.

NEC: The people of Nijmegen train on a field that has been cleared of snow. “It is not ideal, because the artificial grass field is quite slippery,” says a spokesperson. The Nijmegen club trains a little later in the day, so that the lawn care workers can get to work straight away in the morning to clear the field of snow.

Ajax: Ajax is training today in the indoor Johan Cruijff Arena and also played a practice match there yesterday. The Belgian RFC Seraing was defeated 4-0. It is not yet known where Ajax will train for the rest of the week.

Fortuna Sittard: In Limburg they were just as desperate. “We are looking for an artificial turf field in the region for the near future,” was reported on X. The question was also asked whether an opponent could possibly be found for a practice match.

The latter has not yet been achieved, but a training field has been found. “Today and tomorrow we will train in Neerbeek (a village fifteen minutes from the stadium), where volunteers have cleared an artificial grass field for us.”

FC Volendam: The club cannot continue training on its own fields. That is why alternatives were sought and Volendam trained in a small hall yesterday. Today there is also indoor training in Amsterdam. An attempt will be made to clear a field of snow before the end of the week, so that training can take place outside.

FC Twente: In the east of the country they can happily continue training. The artificial grass is “brushed” there every morning, cleared of snow. “There is no reason to change our schedule.”

Sparta Rotterdam: Maurice Steijn’s team was first going to a training camp in Mierlo in Brabant, but had to move to Venlo due to the snow. “We trained there for the first time yesterday at the VVV complex, on artificial grass,” reports a spokesperson. The intention is for Sparta to stay there until Wednesday morning.

Excelsior: The Rotterdam team was at a training camp in Delden, Overijssel. Due to the winter conditions, the club trained once on the fields of FC Twente. An artificial grass field in Rotterdam is now being cleared of snow, so that Excelsior can further prepare there.

Heracles Almelo: At Heracles they are happy to have a good neighbor. The MVV’29 field is located in Harbrinkhoek, ten minutes from Almelo. “We were able to clear their artificial grass field of snow,” says a spokesperson. Heracles will also play a private practice match against TOP Oss in its own stadium today. “The heating, cloths and lamps have done their job well.”

And then a number of clubs have left for Spain. To train there in the sun, but that did not work in all cases. PSV suffered from a tropical storm: ‘code red’. And the selection of sc Heerenveen is stuck in Spain, the return flight has been canceled due to the winter conditions here.