The Warrington Wolves Foundation’s partnership with MAN v FAT Rugby Warrington, a club that helps local men lose weight through weekly rugby and wellbeing sessions, won the ‘Partner of The Year’ award at the MAN v FAT Awards at Villa Park.
The awards earlier this month, which were hosted by England World Cup legend, Sir Geoff Hurst recognised outstanding teams and individuals involved in the MAN v FAT programme across its football and rugby-based initiatives in the UK and USA.
Over the last year, The Warrington Wolves Foundation has led weekly rugby-based sessions aimed at helping men from the area with a BMI of over 27.5 (which the NHS classifies as overweight or obese) lose weight and improve their all-round physical and mental wellbeing.
25 local men currently take part in the club and between them, have lost 250kg (a quarter of a tonne) in the last year.
MAN v FAT partners with dozens of organisations across the UK that includes professional football and rugby club, like the Wolves, Leeds Rhinos and Huddersfield Giants, in addition to local authorities.
On the night, Mark Isherwood, Community Rugby League Coach at The Warrington Wolves Foundation said: “For us to be a partner with MAN v FAT regardless of an award is something special and we’re proud to see the work that MAN v FAT does nationally and internationally. For us to be part of that jigsaw means a lot.
“I have to give credit to our lads who turn up week in and week out and do the hard work. They are the ones turning up, smashing their weight loss goals. I’m just the person who smiles and helps them with their journey.
“MAN v FAT is up there with most of the groups that I run when you’re in the job that I do. We get down on a Monday night and welcome the guys with smiles. Sometimes some of them are frowning as they come through the door, which means they know what they’re in for, but they know the work they’ve got to do to get back on track as well. It’s a special group to be a part of.
“In Warrington we use the power of the badge to do our good work in the community, and I think more clubs should be doing that. If that’s through MAN v FAT, the results, the before and after pictures you see, the stories, the case studies, everything that goes with it, the results happen. The power of a rugby badge or a football badge or whatever it is only going to drive this more, help it get bigger and better and the people taking part, fitter.”
Karl White, National Clubs Manager at MAN v FAT added: “We are incredibly grateful for the opportunities that all our partners across the UK offer both the programme and our players.
“MAN v FAT clubs across the UK that partner with organisations like The Warrington Wolves Foundation benefiting from partners’ facilities and coaching, which translates into a motivating environment for men who are trying to improve themselves physically and mentally. We are very proud of what we have managed to achieve alongside The Warrington Wolves Foundation and hope our partnership with them helps more local men achieve their goals, in the years to come.”
Specifically aimed at men with a BMI of over 27.5, which NHS guidelines classify as overweight or obese, at a typical MAN v FAT Rugby session, players arrive and are weighed, tracking their weight loss or gain across a week.
After weigh-ins, they battle it out on the pitch in small-sided games of touch rugby. The scores on the pitch combine with an individual’s weight change throughout a week to contribute to league standings within a club. Teams that win matches and whose players lose weight are awarded more points, with overall winners crowned at the end of a 14-week season.
Find out more about the Warrington rugby club – https://manvfatrugby.com/club/warrington/
