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Rugby is famous for being a very physical sport, and one not for the faint-hearted, and given that the top players must also be mentally strong, it is certainly not an easy sport to succeed in at the top level.

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Whilst the game itself might be tough, it can have a great many benefits to health.

1. Cardiovascular Fitness

This is the most obvious benefit, given that players must be able to remain active for the 80-minute duration of the game. Aside from the endurance of sustaining activity, there is the power of sprinting and tackling other players, so it is a prerequisite for rugby players that they have an overall fitness. The heart builds strength through the exercise, and that in turn builds stamina.

There are rugby training drills available that can help mimic real game time and the stamina and activity required. These rugby training drills are found online at Sportplan.

2. Bone Health

Watching the top level of the sport, it is sometimes amazing to think that there aren’t more broken bones. However, given that regular rugby can work wonders for toning muscles in the arms, legs and chest, there is an added advantage: repetitive movements on the bones cause stress on the bones, which in turn leads to calcium deposits and strengthening of bones.

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3. Speed

Speed is required in many senses, not just in getting from A to B as quickly as possible but also in changing direction and making decisions.

Aside from physical benefits, there are also positives for mental wellbeing.

4. Improved Mental Wellbeing

Rugby is a team sport and that can promote a sense of belonging and companionship, which can help someone dealing with mild depression or anxiety. Knowing that there are others with a shared interest and direction, and having a support system in place, can be very reassuring.

5. Stress Relief

Although some localised stress might help build bone density, stress is not generally something we strive for, and in general, playing rugby can help alleviate it. Playing rugby can release endorphins, the hormones responsible for making us feel good and lifting our mood.

Simply Supplements has some more information on the reasons why playing rugby can do you good.

Look up your local club today and get involved! Most are happy for you to watch a session before you pull on your boots.

British food includes some incredible dishes such as the Sunday Roast, a good old fish and chip takeaway or perhaps the delights of toad in the hole with some lovely creamy mashed potatoes. But after you have finished your meal what dessert choices do you have? Well if you are looking for something traditionally British and incredible in flavour then there are a whole host of desserts available to you. Pastry chefs, bakers and dessert professionals will utilise the Commercial Combination Oven that they have access to in the professional kitchen. However, the dessert suggestions given below don’t need to be cooked using a Commercial Combination Oven you can use your standard domestic oven to produce great results.

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Pineapple Upside Down Cake – this is a delicious cake made with the addition of pineapple rings and glace cherries with a beautiful sweet syrup that soaks into the sponge mixture along with the flavour from the pineapples. The cake rises to the size of one layer of a traditional layer cake (like a Victoria sponge). The cake (as the name would suggest) is baked upside down with the pineapples and cherries placed in before the cake batter is poured on top. The cake is then tipped out the right way up. It is important that your cake tin or bowl that you are using is greased well enough that the pineapple rings do not stick.

 

Arctic Roll – this ice cream and swiss roll combination brings back memories for many adults either of school dinners or Sunday afternoons when an arctic roll would often be brought out following a roast dinner. Arctic rolls look incredible complicated to make but they are in fact incredibly simple. They are essentially made up of a sponge mix, strawberry jam and some smooth vanilla ice cream. The key to a good arctic roll is in the shaping of the swiss roll cake and the quick freezing of the dessert once all the elements are assembled together.

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Fruit Crumble – Crumble is another classic dessert and you can create one from almost any fruit you choose. The classics include apple, apple and blackberry and summer fruit but you could make a crumble from peaches or cherries or perhaps strawberries. The choice really is yours. A good crumble is a much about the filling as it is about the crunchy topping. A crumble top that is over cooked becomes difficult to eat and the oats tend to pick up a burnt flavour and an under cooked toping can be chewy in the mouth. The only other thing you need to take into consideration is whether to serve your crumble with custard, cream or ice-cream!