Sonny Bill Williams and pals on the fast track to fitness

Rugby star Sonny Bill Williams has been seeing in the New Year across the Tasman as he struggles back to fitness.

Williams will miss the start of the new season as he recovers from a partial rupture of his Achilles tendon suffered during the All Black Sevens’ unsuccessful Olympic campaign in Rio.

The code-swapping sensation — who could be sidelined from his new Super Rugby team the Blues until May — has been working out in Byron Bay in northern New South Wales, alongside former professional rugby player turned personal trainer Ezra Taylor.

Taylor — who represented Otago, the Highlanders, the Queensland Reds and Manu Samoa — is one of the high-profile supporters of the Real Movement Project, a fitness initiative that includes a 28-day fasting diet.

On Friday, Taylor shared a picture to social media of himself, Williams and Wallabies star Quade Cooper at Byron Bay, with the message: “An awesome couple of days spent with some special people.”

Williams also features in photos on the Real Movement Project’s Instagram account. The Project website states: “Move, Nourish, Evolve. A movement of performance coaches reshaping the world.”

During the first week of the programme, participants eat just one meal a day. Each meal is high in fat, has moderate proteins and is low in carbs.

Week two is a complete fast, and just water, multivitamins and are electrolytes allowed.

Participants are allowed one meal a day during week three.

The fourth and final week begins with a 40-hour fast, after which the participants can eat a single meal a day.

It is unclear if Williams’ training includes the fast.

But a post on the regime’s website states: “Apply the mind, diet, movement and regeneration methods used by Sonny Bill Williams, Alastair Day and thousands of athletes and coaches around the world to become a better version of themselves.”