Fitness fans at a functional training facility in London were given the fright of their lives last week when five phenoms from the Tongan rugby team turned up for a workout.

Fortunately for the other members they were paired with, the Tongans were at BaseFit in Shoreditch for a Tabata class rather than the boxing and pad workouts the site is also known for.

Will Helu, Joe Tuineau, Telusa Veainu, Kurt Morath and Siale Piutau popped in for a 20-minute lunchtime class as they set about final preparations for their first match against Georgia in the Rugby World Cup on 19 September. Helu had been a BaseFit member in the past when he sought to maintain fitness levels during his transfer from Wasps to Edinburgh and he decided to bring his teammates along for a workout.

“I was proud to have created a place of choice for the Tonga team to visit to train at in their downtime during the World Cup,” said BaseFit owner Andy Milne.

“It gave a massive boost to the session and the members who attended. They found it very exciting and we had social media meltdown afterwards.”

Having opened the facility in March, Milne told Health Club Management that the business is already in profit and he now plans to expand the concept and bring a franchise model to market later this year.