The national squad has struck a new deal with Welsh food manufacturers and distributors Castell Howells Foods Ltd to supply recovery foods to players on a weekly basis.
It’s not quite ‘feeding the 5,000’ but with the Wales Under 18’s, Under 19’s and Under 21’s squads also covered by the deal during international training camps the company have an unenviable task to keep up the supply of top quality nutritious goods throughout the year.
Players are under constant supervision from fitness coach Andrew Hore and nutritionist Dan King when in the Wales camp, but under a new system responsibility for intake of recovery foods is taken by the players themselves.
This means that they make up their own protein shakes, sandwiches and snacks from weekly food orders provided, which include things like jellied sweets, fruit, peanut butter, bread and meat – all food with high energy content.
“There are a few players on programmes designed to bulk them up who eat more than others, but in general the workloads that they go through in a training week mean that it is vital each and every player maintains their intake of energy foods,” said King. “This supply of food is important for players on bulking up programmes, but also vital to aid recovery for everyone immediately after training sessions.
“Some of the ‘scooby snack’ style foods would not immediately strike you as being part of a healthy diet, like jelly sweets or bread, but they help to achieve the quick intake of carbohydrate needed after a heavy training session.
“We are also receiving weekly deliveries of fruit, tinned goods and cereals with the players literally going through mountains of produce in an average Test match week.
“The new service from Castell Howells means we can provide exactly what quality food the players need from day to day and give them the variety of food required to keep them eating.”
Castell Howell Foods Ltd supply a weekly order of food to the Welsh team and have also supplied fridges and grilling equipment to ensure that the food can be prepared in the correct way.
“We are the largest suppliers of Welsh products throughout Wales and the West of England, so it is only fitting that we have established this association with Wales’ national game,” said Brian Jones, managing director Castell Howells Foods Ltd. “Most of our products are produced and manufactured in Wales and the wide range of products we offer have been fully utilised by the team nutritionist and fitness coach.
“All produce is of the highest quality and we have just the range to provide a healthy and balanced diet to keep these top athletes in tip top condition.”
Fitness coach Hore believes this new deal with Castell Howells is vital not only to the senior team but right through the age groups in Wales.
“We are trying to create good habits among the younger players as well as the senior ones,” added Hore. “Looking to the future we would like this supply of top quality produce to be available to the players right through the regions and all the way through the underpinning structures in Welsh rugby at junior levels.
“Players will hopefully become responsible for themselves if we educate them in the best ways to take care of and prepare their bodies for the professional sporting environment.”
