Faster, stronger, fitter: as Royal Navy rugby union team prepares for the 2011 Babcock Inter Service Championships, a new nutrition programme delivers results
Improving the power and endurance of their team’s players is a holy grail for rugby coaches everywhere. For Lieutenant Commander Geraint Ashton Jones, director of rugby for the Royal Navy rugby union team, the problem was compounded by the limitations of, quite simply, being in the navy.
Each year the RN plays a series of games against teams such as the Irish Defence Force and the Marine National (French Navy) before the big ones: the Babcock Inter Service Championships against the Royal Air Force and the Army, held at Twickenham in front of 55,000 spectators. Given their day jobs, the RN team and their opposition probably play the toughest competitive rugby in the world.
“As a team we had matured enormously in terms of developing the players – our conditioning programme was meeting all our requirements. But our nutritional programme was not. We realised it was because the Navy diet was limited – it just isn’t designed for athletes who are working out all day,” explains Lt Cdr Ashton Jones.
Now a radical new nutrition regime, designed with the help of CNP Professional sports nutrition, has resulted in the RN players being faster and stronger, being able to play harder for longer, and having fewer fitness and injury issues.
“We had already started improving nutrition by funding an extra meal a day for the players,” says Lt Cdr Ashton Jones. “But this wasn’t enough and we realised we were going to need some expert help. We were looking for a company that shared our values in terms of approach, could support our aims and provide advice. I’d heard of CNP’s work with the GB Cycling team, and was excited by the results they’d achieved.”
When Lt Cdr Ashton Jones met with Kerry Kayes, one of CNP’s key nutrition experts, he knew he was on the right track. “What drives them drives us: the focus on the athletes themselves and helping them improve performance.”
The nutrition programme combines wholesome food with a regime of supplements that is tailored to the RN team’s dietary needs. “Getting in the experts helped us get the right balance,” says Lt Cdr Ashton Jones. “For example, we’d have anticipated protein supplements for muscle building and recovery, but CNP’s emphasis on ensuring players get the right trace elements and vitamins was unexpected.”
Once everything was agreed, Kerry Kayes came down to HMS Nelson in Portsmouth for a seminar to get the players onboard with the nutritional programme.
The proof is in the eating: “After just a few months the guys are in better physical state and far fewer of them miss training than before,” ” says Lt Cdr Ashton Jones. “The programme is delivering what we needed it to deliver.
“Their endurance has improved, too. Our first cup match of the year, against the Irish Defence Force, was a really bruising, physical encounter – the longer the game went on, the more in control we were. It was a great win.
“No question, the new nutrition regime has made a big impact.”
CNP Professional is one of the UK’s leading sports nutrition specialist companies. For more information visit www.cnpprofessional.co.uk, or call +44 (0) 161 368 0942 for sports nutrition advice and +44 (0) 161 368 3850 for sales.