2009 October | Rugby League Merchandise

October 31, 2009

Rugby in Scotland – â??A memorable experienceâ?

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: Edinburgh Sports, Rugby, Scottish Rugby — admin @ 4:16 am

Rugby is hugely popular in Scotland, and the country offers a fantastic experience for fans of the game.

When Scotland hosts a major rugby match, there is a shift in the atmosphere.

Fans flock to Scotland not just for the thrill of the game, but to enjoy the entire hospitality experience associated with Scottish rugby.

Friendship, celebration and sporting camaraderie is part of what makes a rugby trip to Scotland so special. There is also, of course, the top class rugby that is played.

Scotlandâ??s two professional rugby teams are Edinburgh Rugby Club and Glasgow Warriors. The Magners League hosts games between regional sides from Scotland, Ireland and Wales, between September and May.

The IRB World Series Sevens is an international event, with the Scottish finale taking place at Murrayfield at the end of May.The Heineken Cup is an annual Rugby Union competition involving club, regional and provincial teams from the UK, Ireland, France and Italy.

The Six Nations is an international event bringing together the teams from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy.

The Melrose Sevens, held in Melrose in the Scottish Borders, is the oldest rugby sevens competition, dating back to 1883, and is still an important fixture on the sporting calendar to this day.

Many flagship events take place at the iconic Murrayfield Stadium, in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh.

During key rugby events, the cityâ??s streets are brimming with excited fans, many dressed in Scottish kilts to mark their allegiance to their team.

With a stunning array of architecture, culture and nightlife on offer, rugby fans often make a weekend of it and enjoy the full Edinburgh experience.

There is a wealth of high quality Edinburgh accommodation to choose from, although itâ??s advisable to book as early as possible for top games.

Groups of friends travelling for a match often enjoy the affordability and fun of staying in serviced apartments in Edinburgh.

Many Edinburgh apartments are of a particularly high standard, so thereâ??s no need to sacrifice on quality of accommodation.

For rugby fans, attending an event in Scotland is a memorable experience for all the right reasons, combining the thrill of top games with a fantastic weekend break.

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Nutrition for Sport: Rugby

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: Carbohydrate, Carbs, Centre, Fitness, Health, Hypertonic, Hypotonic, Isotonic, Muscle, Nutrition, Protein, Rugby, Sport, Supplement — admin @ 2:19 am

Nutrition has a big role in improving performance in sport. Having a good nutritional plan aids your performance a great deal. Eating the right stuff to enable you to perform at your best is not hard but, just like any other diet, you need some discipline.

Training to play rugby, whether ball skills, aerobic or anaerobic fitness, contact skills or resistance training requires high levels of energy to perform; as do matches.

Most of the required energy should come from carbohydrates. You should eat foods low in the Glycaemic Index (GI) and either a protein blend or Casein, egg or soy protein early in the day before exercise. This will provide you with slow release energy you need throughout the day as well as providing you with a slow release protein. Just before exercise, you should consume high GI foods as well as high amounts of Whey Protein. The high GI food will provide a quick release burst of energy you will need and the whey protein floods your bloodstream with amino acids to aid recovery. It has been proven that athletes perform better when they consume a protein and carbs drink before and during exercise compared to carbs drinks and water.

Eating protein is as important as eating carbohydrates. It is essential for muscle repair and recovery. Each meal during the days should have a high amount of protein content and foods such as chicken, turkey and tuna are all excellent at providing a source of protein.

Everyone needs vitamins and minerals, but athletes may need a higher amount than the average person to aid recovery. Fruit and vegetables are a great source of these, as well as providing fibre and complex carbs. Foods such as spinach, watercress, courgettes, mange tout, peppers and apples are some of the most commonly eaten foods by rugby players.

Finally, the most important thing. Plenty of water. You should drink a pint of water with every meal. Before training sessions or gym sessions you should have a hypotonic drink to compensate for the fluid you will lose during exercise and post exercise you should consume a hypertonic drink to replace lost fluids, electrolytes and carbs. During exercise, isotonic drinks are preferred by many top athletes as they replace the lost water and sodium.

You can make these easily at home without having to spend much money.

Hypotonic:

250 ml Fruit Juice (Orange, Apple, Pineapple etc.)

750 ml Water

Pinch of Salt

Hypertonic:

750 ml Fruit Juice (Orange, Apple, Pineapple etc.)

250 ml Water

Pinch of Salt

Isotonic:

500 ml Fruit Juice (Orange, Apple, Pineapple etc.)

500 ml Water

Pinch of Salt

World famous rugby player Jonny Wilkinson claimed he eats mostly chicken breast with a salad of mange tout, courgettes and peppers!

Pre-Match Preparation

Breakfast is important on an average day, but the morning of a match it is even more important. You should eat a big breakfast which, again, is high in carbs and protein. A bowl of cereal isn’t enough. You should try and have a bowl of cereal, eggs (poached, scrambled or an omelette, not fried), some fruit and at least a pint of water.

In the days leading up to a match, you need to drink much more water than usually to ensure you are properly hydrated. Drink a hypotonic drink the morning of a match.

You do not need a large lunch. A small portion of meat with pasta and salad is perfect. Eat a couple of hours before kick off. Just before kick off, some players like to eat a chocolate bar or a small packet of sweets for a quick bit of sugar.

Post Match Meal

This should be a complete meal. It should contain a high amount of carbs, protein and vegetables. Something such as Lasagne with a salad is good after a match as you have a good mix of carbs and protein in the meat and pasta.

Supplements For Rugby

I would consider the most important supplements to take to be carbs and protein. You can get these in the form of a “weight gainer” or you can obtain pure protein and complex carbs and mix them to the amounts you want.

Glucosamine Sulphate is commonly taken by athletes including rugby players to aid with joint maintenance. Due to it’s high impact nature, there is a big strain on the joints.

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October 30, 2009

Rugby in Scotland – â??A memorable experienceâ?

Filed under: Rugby League — Tags: Edinburgh Sports, Rugby, Scottish Rugby — admin @ 6:58 pm