Bibby fights to make rugby vegan-friendly
With its culture of copious portions of chicken breasts, steak and eggs, rugby seems to be the final frontier when it comes to sport’s vegan and vegetarian revolution. Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams and Lewis Hamilton are flying the flag for plantbased diets but, due to its very nature, there are probably few sports as synonymous with bulking up on protein as rugby.
So, unsurprisingly, vegan and vegetarian rugby players are a rare species. But in the world of sevens, which has been seen as a disrupter in the rugby union space, Team GB Olympic silver medallist Dan Bibby is proud to say he has lived on what he describes as a “plant-focused” diet – or to what the majority would perceive as a vegan lifestyle – for over three years while playing for England. He says he will continue to do so, with Team GB now having been given funding for the Tokyo Games.
The decision came easily to the self-proclaimed “animal lover” and “big softie” whose two young sons, Jasper and Jude, were the inspiration. “I have always been quite environmentally aware and I started to read about the impact that meat was having on the planet. Having the kids made me think,
‘I showed that I stopped eating meat and I was in the exact same shape. I was leaner, but just as strong’
‘Am I giving them the best chance for their future?’ ” he says.
The Wigan man emphasises that his change of diet, which involves replacing meat-based proteins with tofu, beans, nuts, salads and plant-based protein shakes, has not impacted on his performance, although the England nutritionist told him it would be easier to stick with a more traditional diet.
“I think people were maybe a little bit worried that if they didn’t get enough protein, it would affect their performance,” Bibby says. “I showed that I stopped eating meat and I was in the exact same shape. I was leaner, but I was just as strong. My speed actually increased, but we couldn’t prove that was because of my diet.
“It didn’t impact my strength in the gym or my speed on the pitch, or my ability to recover. As long as it didn’t affect my performance, there was no need to change what I was doing.
“They [the nutritionist] monitored my weight because there are a lot less calories in plant-based food than in meat. They were supportive, but they offered advice on why it was easier to eat meat. But I feel like the right choices aren’t always easy.”
However, the 29-year-old is quick to point out that he has a sizeable carbon footprint from his days globetrotting on the sevens circuit. “I am kind of a hypocrite because I don’t eat meat but our job involved flying around the world, which contributed to global warming massively,” he says.
Bibby is passionate rather than preachy and is keen to point out that it is an ethical choice instead of him believing meat and dairy are unhealthy.
However, his efforts to promote a “meat-free Monday” among his England peers did not always go down too well, despite several team-mates now considering plant-based diets.
“The lads weren’t too fussed about me personally doing it, but I did try to implement ‘meat-free Monday’ and that was met with a bit of hostility,” he says.
“I didn’t feel like I was being pushy, I felt like I was trying to educate them on things like if you eat one less meat meal a week, it will impact the environment massively and reduce global warming. Having one less steak a week won’t affect your performance. I tried to get the whole team on board and some people did. And others were, ‘It’s my choice.’”
Bibby believes that rugby’s culture is what is holding back more players from becoming plant-based or even skipping meat one day a week.
“When I was 18, 19, it was drilled into me to eat endless chicken breasts and pasta and lots of eggs. Everything was ‘you need protein, protein, protein’. If anyone goes outside that norm, it is like anything, it is like social conformity, and if you don’t conform to the norm, you are seen as very odd and different. Especially with the rugby culture, which is very macho.
“I want to know that I can look back in 20 years and say to my kids, ‘I did my best to give you the best environment.’ Even if it turns out rubbish, I can say I did my best.”