Joe Trayfoot out to beat his diabetes fright

London Irish flanker Joe Trayfoot says he is determined not to allow the onset of diabetes to ruin his chances of making an impact at his new club.
Trayfoot, 24, admits he was initially shocked to be diagnosed with the condition within days of joining the Exiles from Harlequins this summer.
However, he says advice from fellow professionals who also live with diabetes has proved invaluable as he comes to terms with a new way of life.
Trayfoot told The Rugby Paper: “It’s something that happened like the click of a finger, but in terms of playing my sport it shouldn’t be a problem.
“I had standard symptoms and came in to see Irish’s doctor, then it was a case of spending a whole weekend in hospital on a drip. It was a bit of a shock to be diagnosed with type one diabetes, but I’m far from alone in that.
“Henry Slade (Exeter), Chris Pennell (Worcester) and Andy Forsyth (Yorkshire Carnegie) have the same thing and there have been great athletes like Steve Redgrave who’ve had it as well, so it’s not that much of an issue.
“It took me a month or two to get my head around what I’m meant to be doing now and how it affects me, but I’ve spoken to a fair few of the other lads and they’ve given me some good tips on how to go about things.”
One of the first on the phone was England full-back Pennell, with Trayfoot revealing: “Chris found out and contacted me, so we had a good chat and he was very helpful. I’ve spoken with Andy Forsyth about it, too.
“You have to manage your diet very carefully, things like carbohydrate intake and the amount of insulin you have to inject into your body. It makes it particularly different for sportsmen to have that added responsibility.
“It’s up to me to do what’s necessary, though, and I’ve take all those good tips on board and, hopefully, I’ll be all right.”
Trayfoot made an impressive Irish debut against Agen last week, his delayed start caused by ankle ligament damage rather than diabetes.
He now aims to make a starting spot his own after being squeezed out at Quins by the likes of Chris Robshaw, Luke Wallace and Jack Clifford.
“I enjoyed my first game back, had quite a few involvements and worked really hard, so I’m looking to push on now,” Trayfoot said. “It was a hard decision to leave Quins after a long time there, but you want to be right in the mix with a club and try to progress.
“I felt I’d still get game time at Quins but just felt that when everyone was fit I’d be looking at a bench place at best. There’s stiff competition at Irish, too, but it’s a new chapter of my career and I’m looking to take advantage.”
He added: “I took a lot out of playing with guys like Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter and now I want to transfer that to London Irish.”
NEALE HARVEY