Now Ye're Talking - to a retired rugby pro

irishfan9

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA wrote: »

I did the keto diet for a while last year as an experiment on myself it's a tool for weight loss, I can't recommend it for sustainability. A very unnatural way to eat, but if it suits you and it isn't that much of an effort then that's right for you. There are a lot of easier ways to do it in my opinion. There's nothing magic about keto diets. It's a structured calorie deficit with enough protein to maintain muscle mass. If you can't do it for most of the rest of your life then it's more of a fad than a way of life.

hmm I see your point there alright, I find once your in ketosis, your appetite is satiated and you aren't always focused on your next meal.

Obviously it's pretty strict way of eating though, couldn't maintain it over christmas but before than maintained eating that way relatively easily, bar the odd hungover cheat meal/day but very much for people trying to lose weight IMO.

Any opinions on intermittent fasting for weight loss?

Dial Hard

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA wrote: »

I'm not aware of any of it, is that to do with bringing players in on scholarships?

May only be a Leinster thing because the Leinster Branch were also named in the challenge.

It's a recent rule change that means a student has to be enrolled in a school for 20 months before they're eligible to play for them in the Schools Cup. it was designed to stop schools poaching students specifically for the business end of the season.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

Bazzo wrote: »

Seeing as you were a 10 yourself and Ireland are kind of short of experience in that position at the moment, are there any young or up and coming out halves at any of the provinces that you rate highly?

I don't know enough about the underage provincial teams but the obvious one is Bill Johnston. James Taylor is a great kicker with UCC but I wouldn't see enough underage players.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

irishfan9 wrote: »

hmm I see your point there alright, I find once your in ketosis, your appetite is satiated and you aren't always focused on your next meal.

Obviously it's pretty strict way of eating though, couldn't maintain it over christmas but before than maintained eating that way relatively easily, bar the odd hungover cheat meal/day but very much for people trying to lose weight IMO.

Any opinions on intermittent fasting for weight loss?

I was surprised at how long a high fat meal could fill me for but it's not the most enjoyable way to eat and I was still quite hungry. I was losing too much weight so I stopped.

My Dad did it with me and lost 10kg in 6 weeks but never wanted to keep going. He wasn't even big.

It's a good tool but I don't really understand why you need to be in ketosis. You'll lose weight without being in it.

Intermittent Fasting is another tool and can work quite well but again it's not magic. It's another form of calorie restriction. Martin Macdonald is big into it and a good guy to follow

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

Dial Hard wrote: »

May only be a Leinster thing because the Leinster Branch were also named in the challenge.

It's a recent rule change that means a student has to be enrolled in a school for 20 months before they're eligible to play for them in the Schools Cup. it was designed to stop schools poaching students specifically for the business end of the season.

It's a hard one, if a player decides to move to a different school as a "career move" he's going to be stopped as much as the poached player so it's difficult to put rules on. Same as the residency one in a way.

irishfan9

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA wrote: »

I was surprised at how long a high fat meal could fill me for but it's not the most enjoyable way to eat and I was still quite hungry. I was losing too much weight so I stopped.

My Dad did it with me and lost 10kg in 6 weeks but never wanted to keep going. He wasn't even big.

It's a good tool but I don't really understand why you need to be in ketosis. You'll lose weight without being in it.

Intermittent Fasting is another tool and can work quite well but again it's not magic. It's another form of calorie restriction. Martin Macdonald is big into it and a good guy to follow

Yeah you don't need to be in ketosis obviously just get the calorie deficit.. thanks for the engagement.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

irishfan9 wrote: »

Yeah you don't need to be in ketosis obviously just get the calorie deficit.. thanks for the engagement.

I meant that in the general sense by the way, not at you Thanks for the questions

RonnieL

Some very interesting answers, thanks again for taking the time.
I saw a fairly blunt question about how much you earned earlier, which I think most people would agree is an unfair question to ask. However, I wonder could you speak in general terms about the pay scale? I recall John Muldoon doing a piece for sky years ago where he gave some broad ranges, which I'm guessing are out of date now. Also, do players know what other lads are earning and would it ever cause conflict? I've seen some good natured "banter" on social media with some of the Munster lads after CJ and Peter got new contracts, but I'm sure there's lads there who feel they are being short changed (like any work place).

awec

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA wrote: »

Struggling to maintain weight is pretty much a free for all when eating. If your protein is high enough ice, around 2g/kg then getting the food in is the main concern. If you want to be a be stricter it's probably healthy fats and good quality carbs but I don't think that will matter if you're getting unwanted weight loss.

Ya some people struggle to get enough calories in. John lost a lot of weight at the start when he was adjusting to his new lifestyle, some of the weight loss might have been ok but the rest was definitely unwanted. It can be tough to have to eat that much and it sounds silly but training on a full stomach all the time isn't ideal. I'm small and I ate 4,500-5,000 calories for some of my rehab to try to put on weight. That's a lot of eating. It can be positive at times but hard work when you think of it practically.

What was your playing weight? Have you dropped much of it in retirement?

When professional players retire are they generally encouraged to reduce their body weight? I assume for many players this needs to be carefully managed to make sure they don't just end up getting fat?

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

awec wrote: »

What was your playing weight? Have you dropped much of it in retirement?

When professional players retire are they generally encouraged to reduce their body weight? I assume for many players this needs to be carefully managed to make sure they don't just end up getting fat?

My playing weight was around 83kg, below this if it was mid season because it's hard to keep weight on when weights sessions aren't the priority and you get less done because of recovering from matches. Stress of matches also doesn't help.

I got to 86kg when I was rehabbing but dropped it as soon as I went back playing, not intentionally. I'm barely 80kg now and eating a lot of food and a lot of weights. Nobody encourages you to keep fit or lose weight when you retire, in my experience.

Some players waste away, others put on weight. Depends on their genetics.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

RonnieL wrote: »

Some very interesting answers, thanks again for taking the time.
I saw a fairly blunt question about how much you earned earlier, which I think most people would agree is an unfair question to ask. However, I wonder could you speak in general terms about the pay scale? I recall John Muldoon doing a piece for sky years ago where he gave some broad ranges, which I'm guessing are out of date now. Also, do players know what other lads are earning and would it ever cause conflict? I've seen some good natured "banter" on social media with some of the Munster lads after CJ and Peter got new contracts, but I'm sure there's lads there who feel they are being short changed (like any work place).

No worries. Thanks for asking questions.

I might be out of touch now too but my understanding is that academy contracts are around €10,000, development contracts go up to about €30,000 but can be stretched because the IRFU put pressure on to reduce full senior contracts. Non capped contracts go up to €100,000 plus or minus depending on individual negotiations and positions. I don't know any more than the media with the rest of it. You'd have a good idea what people are earning, same as the normal work place when people have conversations etc.

I could be wrong but that's my understanding.

irishgeo

do you think the younger teens wanting to play rugby are being told to bulk up and that the go off and take supplements like Creatine unsupervised.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

irishgeo wrote: »

do you think the younger teens wanting to play rugby are being told to bulk up and that the go off and take supplements like Creatine unsupervised.

Yeah I suppose they are. I wouldn't be worrying too much about creatine, I think the issue is when they're choosing supplement brands that aren't tested and make ridiculous claims.

c.p.w.g.w

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA wrote: »

Yeah I suppose they are. I wouldn't be worrying too much about creatine, I think the issue is when they're choosing supplement brands that aren't tested and make ridiculous claims.

The fear around creatine is ridiculous, perfectly safe unless someone has a compromised renal system. In which case they are very limited in what they can eat and drink in the first place

Sabre0001

Do you think that restaurants should show calories on a menu? Should they go one step further and put more macronutrient content on there too?

The outhalf position is always under so much scrutiny. What goes through your head during a game, especially during a kick (what is the pre-kick routine and are there commonalities across kickers)?

How much can you hear during a game from the crowd? Any funny comments stand out to you? Do shouts like "Wake up, Munster / Jonny" bother you, do you get added encouragement from someone singling you out for praise?

And is the silence at Thomond Park a help or a hindrence - and do last second shouts have any impact?

(Sorry for the barrage of questions and thanks for taking the time out!)

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

Sabre0001 wrote: »

Do you think that restaurants should show calories on a menu? Should they go one step further and put more macronutrient content on there too?

The outhalf position is always under so much scrutiny. What goes through your head during a game, especially during a kick (what is the pre-kick routine and are there commonalities across kickers)?

How much can you hear during a game from the crowd? Any funny comments stand out to you? Do shouts like "Wake up, Munster / Jonny" bother you, do you get added encouragement from someone singling you out for praise?

And is the silence at Thomond Park a help or a hindrence - and do last second shouts have any impact?

(Sorry for the barrage of questions and thanks for taking the time out!)

Yeah I'd be a big fan of calories and macros on menu's. It's not for everyone but at least you can have an idea of what you're eating if you want. The Nando's app does it, not sure how accurate it is. And Ramen Lite menu is good too.

Lot's of different things really. It's not as strict as what people say, some thoughts definitely creep in there that you "should block out".

You don't hear many individual voices during games, maybe in the AIL you would. Sometimes the negative comments would give you a chip on your shoulder and work well. Praise is good but you shouldn't get caught up in your own hype!

Someone shouted "potato potato" in some **** Irish accent at an A game in Nottingham as i was about to kick to go ahead in the 78th minute. It was only funny because the kick went over! The silence never bothered me.

irishfan9

Who was the fastest guy at Munster in your time?

How bad is preseason?

Who were your best friends in the squad?

How often would you as a back interact with the forwards coach or scrum coach?

How detailed is the feedback you receive from a game? Or does it vary coach to coach?

What was the hardest skill to execute under pressure for you?

Sorry that's a lot of questions.

Tigerandahalf

Hi Johnny

Nice to see someone like yourself do this.

How good is the set up in UL now?
How do the outside players rate it?
Are many guys encouraged to do degree programmes in the uni?
Is everyone happy to be working out of a single base now?
Is it always pissing rain in Limerick?

Thanks

skeleton_boy

What kind of supplements do high level rugby guys take daily?

What supplements would you recommend for the average person who does cardio / gyms 5 times a week +

Are all supplements the same in terms of quality? e.g store vs premium brand?

Thanks

Tell me how

Given what you now know. If you were 18 again and had the chance of going to college, completing a degree, entering the workforce at 22 while playing rugby part time or going the route you took but still having to retire early because of injury, which path do you think you would take?

razorblunt

Another one jumped in my head:

Why do you think NH players don't tend to venture south that often? I know the likes of Haskell, Michalak, Cipriani have done it for a season but you never tend to get anything long term like Oli Jagr is currently doing?

Would there be offers to play down there and is it something players would consider or have considered?

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

irishfan9 wrote: »

Who was the fastest guy at Munster in your time?

How bad is preseason?

Who were your best friends in the squad?

How often would you as a back interact with the forwards coach or scrum coach?

How detailed is the feedback you receive from a game? Or does it vary coach to coach?

What was the hardest skill to execute under pressure for you?

Sorry that's a lot of questions.

I'd say Keith Earls, he never bothered to run fast too often! Zebo over longer distances.

Pre season is very bad! But the challenge of it is weirdly enjoyable, when you're not injured and able to get stuck in.

The Scannells, Cian Bohane, James Cronin, John Madigan, Darren O' Shea was a good crew. Sweets and Pete McCabe. I got on with a lot of guys.

As a back you can interact with them as much as you want. It's driven by the player really. A lot of chats would happen informally at lunch times like that.

Feedback is also driven by the player, you have to go looking for it if you want it to be more detailed. Coaches don't have time to find every player every week.

Hardest skill was drop goals.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Hi Johnny

Nice to see someone like yourself do this.

How good is the set up in UL now?
How do the outside players rate it?
Are many guys encouraged to do degree programmes in the uni?
Is everyone happy to be working out of a single base now?
Is it always pissing rain in Limerick?

Thanks

Hi,

The setup in Limerick is pretty good. The centre is impressive. I haven't seen the newer part of the pool.

You mean guys outside of Munster?

Yeah education is encouraged a lot. Definitely a strength of the academy system. Although i don't know how feasible it is now for players that didn't plan on going to UL. It's tough for the younger lads now.

I think everyone's happy that it's a single base but not everyone would be thrilled with it being in Limerick. The sun comes out once a year in Limerick. The rest of the time it's raining.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

skeleton_boy wrote: »

What kind of supplements do high level rugby guys take daily?

What supplements would you recommend for the average person who does cardio / gyms 5 times a week +

Are all supplements the same in terms of quality? e.g store vs premium brand?

Thanks

Players tend to stick to protein/protein + carbs, creatine, multivitamin, Vitamin D, probiotic, omega 3.

Recommending supplements is an awkward one unless you know more about the individual but the same list would apply. Vitamin D is important from October-March especially. Protein is convenient. Creatine depends on your goals and commitment. Omega 3 would benefit most people.

Supplements are definitely not all the same. There are different forms of the same name e.g. ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous bisglycinate are just a few different forms of iron. All absorbed and tolerated differently.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

Tell me how wrote: »

Given what you now know. If you were 18 again and had the chance of going to college, completing a degree, entering the workforce at 22 while playing rugby part time or going the route you took but still having to retire early because of injury, which path do you think you would take?

I would do it the same way as I've done it. I couldn't foresee my injury and would have found it hard to focus more on education or work. I might go back and do bits of work experience and make connections while playing if I could do it again. It takes a lot of organisation and maturity though

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

razorblunt wrote: »

Another one jumped in my head:

Why do you think NH players don't tend to venture south that often? I know the likes of Haskell, Michalak, Cipriani have done it for a season but you never tend to get anything long term like Oli Jagr is currently doing?

Would there be offers to play down there and is it something players would consider or have considered?

I'm not fully sure but it could be to do with the money. That's the reason they come the other way. The talent pools would also go against the average NH player. Speaking to a few of the SH lads, it seems that nobody's place is guaranteed, especially in NZ.

Tigerandahalf

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA wrote: »

Hi,

The setup in Limerick is pretty good. The centre is impressive. I haven't seen the newer part of the pool.

You mean guys outside of Munster?

Yeah education is encouraged a lot. Definitely a strength of the academy system. Although i don't know how feasible it is now for players that didn't plan on going to UL. It's tough for the younger lads now.

I think everyone's happy that it's a single base but not everyone would be thrilled with it being in Limerick. The sun comes out once a year in Limerick. The rest of the time it's raining.

Ya I meant the guys from abroad. Would they have similar set ups?

Re the pro14:
What do you make of SA teams entering the competition?

Do you see them making a permanent move upto Europe and competing in Champions Cup/6 Nations.

Would the extra competition be good/bad for Irish teams?

Thanks

Gloomtastic!

Pro football players have their groupies who hang around certain night spots hoping to bag themselves a husband or at least a newspaper headline.

What are rugby groupies like? Without necessarily mentioning names, tell us a funny story that you may have witnessed or been involved in. Go on, I dare you!

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Ya I meant the guys from abroad. Would they have similar set ups?

Re the pro14:
What do you make of SA teams entering the competition?

Do you see them making a permanent move upto Europe and competing in Champions Cup/6 Nations.

Would the extra competition be good/bad for Irish teams?

Thanks

I think they have similar set ups. Donnacha O' Callaghan was very impressed with Worcester when he went over, breakfast, lunch and snacks on site for players.

The SA teams add a bit of excitement. I know they're not the best teams but it would be nice to see how NH competes with SH.

I'm not sure if they will go further with other competitions.

I'm a Retired Rugby Pro, AMA

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Pro football players have their groupies who hang around certain night spots hoping to bag themselves a husband or at least a newspaper headline.

What are rugby groupies like? Without necessarily mentioning names, tell us a funny story that you may have witnessed or been involved in. Go on, I dare you!

I don't hang around in those circles I'm afraid!