MAN v FAT Rugby is launching in clubs nationwide to help men lose weight and improve their wellbeing.

A similar scheme in football has helped men for the past eight years, with a collective loss of over 750,000 lbs in 150 clubs across the UK.

The scheme is now launching after three successful pilot clubs in Birmingham, Cheltenham, and Leicester.

Participants from the pilots have lost 316 kgs of weight so far and Gareth Robinson from the Leicester club was the first person on the programme to lose 10% of their body weight.

Participants from the pilots have lost 316 kgs of weight so far and Gareth Robinson from the Leicester club was the first person on the programme to lose 10% of their body weight. He said:

"I have tried losing weight on my own before with mixed results. Sometimes I would do OK but would always fall back off the horse and put the weight back on, so I was looking to try something different to see if that would work for me.

"I didn't really fancy Weight Watchers, but I saw the adverts for MAN v FAT Rugby on Facebook, and it seemed like a good opportunity to try it out.

"The rugby is definitely the main thing for me, I used to enjoy the social side of rugby when I played a few years back, and we get a bit of that on a Monday night now."

The programme is suitable for men with a BMI of 27.5 or over, and anyone interested in joining should visit their website to sign up.

Source: England Rugby

Image: Sport England.