Edinburgh males at fat-fighting rugby and soccer golf equipment workforce as much as shed 1 / 4 of a tonne in 2025.
50 males assembly every week at two sports activities golf equipment in Edinburgh, with the goal of dropping pounds and bettering their all-round wellbeing via rugby and soccer classes have misplaced 250kg (1 / 4 of a tonne) between them, within the final six months.
MAN v FAT runs 165 rugby and soccer golf equipment throughout the UK, nonetheless Edinburgh is considered one of solely 15 cities and cities within the nation the place males can take their decide of rugby or football-based programmes – or select to play each.
MAN v FAT Soccer Edinburgh has been working for various years, nonetheless town’s rugby membership is comparatively new, having launched in March 2025. MAN v FAT Rugby Edinburgh takes place each Tuesday night at Meggetland Sports activities Advanced. Whereas on Thursday evenings, the soccer membership meets at Powerleague on Westbank Road in Portobello.
22 gamers at the moment participate within the rugby classes, whereas 28 participate within the soccer membership – each evenings at the moment have areas for brand spanking new gamers who is perhaps interested by becoming a member of.
Each MAN v FAT Soccer and Rugby Edinburgh are particularly aimed toward males with a BMI of over 27.5, which NHS tips classify as chubby or overweight. At a typical session, gamers arrive and are weighed, monitoring their weight reduction or acquire throughout per week. After weigh-ins, gamers battle it out on the pitch in small-sided video games of soccer and contact rugby.
The scores on the pitch mix with a person’s weight change all through per week to contribute to league standings inside a membership – with groups that win matches and whose gamers reduce weight, being awarded extra factors.
Marc Adams who performs on the rugby membership and has misplaced a formidable 4 stone since becoming a member of, defined: “I had been specializing in dropping pounds for many of final yr however discovered myself stalling. So, after I noticed that there was a rugby model of MAN v FAT beginning up in Edinburgh, I believed it might be a great way to push myself to maintain going – and being in a likeminded group would function good motivation.
“It’s been nice to play a little bit of rugby each week with a bunch that’s an excellent snort and have the same ardour for the sport. I’ve additionally actually loved seeing the improbable progress that different members have been making in transferring in the direction of their targets understanding the work it could actually take myself. I would definitely suggest it to others, the success that everybody has had thus far and the higher health ranges week-on-week has been wonderful.
“It’s clearly a giant psychological increase as effectively once you see the work in the direction of hitting targets paying off. It’s additionally simply been good to have one thing to stay up for on a Tuesday evening for a little bit of rugby.
Euan Campbell, a member of the Edinburgh soccer membership added: ‘’MAN v FAT Soccer me as a result of I used to be aware of my weight however wasn’t a fan of the gymnasium and located it laborious to encourage myself to train alone.
“I don’t really feel judged right here and we’re all in the identical boat with a deal with weight reduction. Being a part of a workforce, with a component of competitors motivates me to train and carry on prime of my weight reduction targets. It additionally helps that dropping pounds counts as targets for the workforce!
“Having the session every week retains me constant, and our coach, Kris, has given me glorious recommendation in relation to adapting my weight loss program. There’s additionally extra to the programme than enjoying soccer. I hold observe of what I’m consuming and consuming, I even have entry to glorious on-line recommendation for bodily and psychological well being, in addition to quite a few wholesome recipes.
“Since becoming a member of eight months in the past I’ve misplaced over 15 per cent of my physique weight and am now very near a wholesome BMI. I’d suggest MAN v FAT to anybody trying to reduce weight, in addition to the camaraderie and professional assist alongside the best way’’.
Kenny Noble, who misplaced 14 stone with the assistance of the MAN v FAT Soccer programme in Scotland now coaches the Edinburgh rugby membership. He mentioned: “I’m so happy with how supportive the fellows are to one another and the way all of them have fun one another’s success irrespective of how small. They usually get behind one another to supply encouragement and assist if there’s per week the place somebody positive aspects weight.
“I’m shocked at simply how rapidly the fellows are smashing via their milestone percentages. Up to now we’ve 15 out of twenty-two gamers which have achieved a lack of 5 per cent of their body weight for the reason that membership launched in March 2025. That’s an exceptional achievement for the fellows concerned.”
The full quantity of weight misplaced by MAN v FAT gamers within the UK at the moment stands at greater than 800,000 kilos. Along with soccer classes, MAN v FAT gamers obtain off-the-pitch assist together with wholesome meal recipe concepts and recommendations on common health. Gamers additionally get free entry to a bespoke psychological well being platform via MAN v FAT companions, JAAQ.
Discover out extra about MAN v FAT Rugby Edinburgh, right here: https://manvfatrugby.com/membership/edinburgh/
MAN v FAT Soccer Edinburgh: https://www.manvfatfootball.org/edinburgh