'Weight loss rugby club has changed my life completely'

Paul Parfitt said he is enjoying life again after losing weight playing rugby

A player at a new rugby club that aims to help men lose unwanted weight said it has "changed his life completely".

The group plays touch rugby at North Bristol Rugby Club in Almondsbury, near Bristol, and is run by MANvFAT.

Paul Parfitt said he used to be "very quiet and private" about his weight, but now he does not care and is "enjoying life".

"You go there thinking you'll exercise and lose weight, and a year later I'm 32kg (5st) down and my confidence is through the roof," he said.

The programme is designed for men with a body mass index (BMI) above 27.5 and players' weight is tracked after every session in a supportive environment, organisers said.

Mr Parfitt added the club has "changed my life completely".

The club has 33 members but is looking to expand

MANvFAT rugby started in 2024 as an expansion of the well-established MANvFAT football, which has worked with tens of thousands of men across the UK to help them lose weight and make healthier choices.

Rugby is seen as a way of appealing to men who are not interested in playing football.

Another club in Cheltenham was set up as a pilot programme in 2024, with members losing more than 62st (393.7kg) collectively so far.

Both the Bristol and Cheltenham clubs are calling for more members to join.

Coach Richard Perry says the players have lost a combined 100kg in a month.

"At the moment, we [Bristol] have 33 players across three teams here and a couple on a waiting list, but we're looking to grow it and add a fourth team," said coach Richard Perry.

"There's an on-pitch / off-pitch scoring element. On pitch you score points by scoring tries.

"Off pitch you get points for tracking your calorie intake, exercise and weight loss overall as a team," he said.

This focus on off-pitch activity has already led to positive results for some of the Bristol players.

"It's making me much more mindful about what I'm eating in the week," said player Andy Holliday.

"They're helping me to focus and understand that you can eat and drink what you want, but it's about finding the balance with exercise as well."