A new rugby club that aims to help men in and around Warrington lose unwanted weight at a healthy and sustainable pace has kicked off in collaboration with the Warrington Wolves Foundation, and it’s looking for new players.
The club is the latest in a growing nationwide programme designed for overweight men with a BMI of over 27.5. Already in the UK, 326 men have lost a combined 299 (1900kg) stones in weight through MAN v FAT Rugby.
The programme is inspired by the hugely successful football-based MAN v FAT Football that has helped tens of thousands of men lose more than 800,000 pounds of unwanted weight in the last ten years.
But the initiative isn’t just about kicking fat into touch, MAN v FAT players across the UK have spoken about making new friends, building confidence and improving their mental health with the help of the programme.
The Warrington club will meet on Monday evenings and will take place each week at Victoria Park 4G on Knutsford Road, from 6.30pm until 8pm.
At a session, players will have a quick catch-up with their teammates and coaches before being weighed to track their weight loss or gain across a week. They then take to the pitch for small-sided touch rugby games where points are awarded to the winning teams. The points on the pitch then combine with team members’ personal weight loss progress to contribute to overall standings in the Warrington club’s league table.
Matches are managed by qualified referees, with trophies and medal awarded to winning teams and outstanding individual players at the end of a season.
MAN v FAT Rugby Lead, Karl White explains: “Whether you have played before or not, all abilities and skill levels are welcome. The only requirement to become a member of MAN v FAT Rugby is that you’re above the age of 18 and have a BMI of 27.5 or over.
“After signing up, you’ll be put into a WhatsApp group with your new team, and you’ll support and encourage one another throughout your season. At the sessions, which are weekly, you’ll turn up and be weighed by one of the coaches.
“You’ll then take the field and play T1 Rugby, each game last 28 minutes, your team’s results are based on the games and your team’s weight loss and bonuses such as hitting weight loss percentage goals and hat tricks for losing three times in a row.
“And finally, even if your team loses, you’re winning because you’re healthier, gaining confidence and losing weight.”
James Howes, Health & Wellbeing Manager at the Warrington Wolves Foundation said: We’re thrilled to be partnering with MAN v FAT Rugby to bring this innovative initiative to Warrington. At the Foundation, we’re passionate about using the power of sport to change lives, and this aligns perfectly with our mission to improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of our community. We can’t wait to see the positive impact this will have on the men who take part.”
“MAN v FAT already has a very successful football club operating in the town, and we hope this partnership will enable us to replicate this success, just with a different shaped ball,” adds Karl White. “We’re aiming for our Warrington rugby club to become a real community for the men that get involved. We’ve seen through our football programme that sessions are genuine highlights in our players’ weeks and somewhere that they build confidence, make new friends and improve their mental health, while losing weight.
“The club has spaces for new players and it’s never too late to join. More players mean more teams within a club, and we find that the more competitive our clubs are, the more weight our players lose.”
More information about the club can be found here: manvfatrugby.com/club/warrington/
