Talented rugby player, Rachel Roberts (16) from Newbiggin by the Sea, is being supported by The Dairy Council in her dream of one day playing rugby for the Senior England team.
She is one of four aspiring, young athletes The Dairy Council is backing this year by teaming up with SportsAid in order to raise awareness of the benefits that milk can bring to sportsmen and women.
Rachel is a member of the Under-18 England Talent Development Group and plays rugby for Northumberland County, her regional Under-18 team and Morpeth Rugby Club. She said: “I hope to continue being selected for the Talent Development Squad until I am eligible to play for England Under-20s.
“When I heard that I had been chosen to receive support from The Dairy Council I was really excited. It will help me so much with kit and travel to and from training and matches. I am really grateful to The Dairy Council and SportsAid for supporting me.”
The Dairy Council announced its support for Rachel at its Milk and Sport Seminar, held recently at the Institute of Physics in London. The seminar revealed research showing the benefit of consuming milk for rehydration and to repair exercise-induced muscle damage.
Rachel said: “It was interesting to learn about the benefits of milk on training. I normally just drink water after a game but now, knowing how milk could improve my performance, I am going to start drinking milk after hard training sessions and matches.”
The Dairy Council is a non-profit making organisation that provides evidence-based nutrition information on the role of dairy foods in the diet. In the run up to the London Olympics in 2012, The Dairy Council is promoting the benefits of milk after physical activity and is raising awareness of the importance of a nutrient dense diet for active people.
Dr Judith Bryans, Director of The Dairy Council, said: “We hope that by offering some funding to these four young, talented athletes we can help them fulfil their sporting ambition. It is a real priority for us to get across to our young athletes the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle. As shown by research presented at our recent seminar, milk can play a very important role in aiding recovery after sport.
“Rachel is very passionate about rugby and is an extremely talented and ambitious young athlete. We have no doubt that we will see her in years to come playing for England.”
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