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How rugby is helping men with weight loss
MAN v FAT Rugby is launching in clubs nationwide to help men lose weight and improve their wellbeing.
A similar scheme in football has helped men for the past eight years, with a collective loss of over 750,000 lbs in 150 clubs across the UK.
The scheme is now launching after three successful pilot clubs in Birmingham, Cheltenham, and Leicester.
Participants from the pilots have lost 316 kgs of weight so far and Gareth Robinson from the Leicester club was the first person on the programme to lose 10% of their body weight.
He said: “I have tried losing weight on my own before with mixed results. Sometimes I would do OK but would always fall back off the horse and put the weight back on, so I was looking to try something different to see if that would work for me.
“I didn’t really fancy Weight Watchers, but I saw the adverts for MAN v FAT Rugby on Facebook, and it seemed like a good opportunity to try it out.
“The rugby is definitely the main thing for me, I used to enjoy the social side of rugby when I played a few years back, and we get a bit of that on a Monday night now.”
Participants in the programme play a weekly game of T1 Rugby, the new non-contact format of the game, and participate in a structured accountability session that supports participants stay on track with their weight loss goals.
Gareth added: “The teams all support each other and there is a good atmosphere. The chat on WhatsApp is starting to pick up a bit too, and the guys are sharing their tips now, which is great.
“I also really like to see the other guys doing well and celebrating their successes, as I know that they are all working hard to shift some weight too.”
The programme will launch in Bradford, Bristol, Castleford, Chiswick, Edinburgh, and Wigan next year with other locations following soon after.
MAN v FAT Rugby Lead Karl White said: “It’s been a joy to see that no matter the shape of the ball, the weekly weigh-in and game is somewhere that our players build confidence, make new friends, and improve their mental health while losing weight.
“In many cases, we’re providing men who haven’t picked up an oval ball in years the chance to get back into playing a sport that they love.”
The programme is suitable for men with a BMI of 27.5 or over, and anyone interested in joining should visit their website to sign up.
