Room 101: James Pritchard – Bedford full-back

1. Parking space Pirates
People without any kids in town really get to me when they park in designated family parking bays at supermarkets. When you’ve got to sort out pushchairs etc. the bit of extra space you get can be a god-send. Alex Rae and I were having a big gripe about it the other day in the changing room, and Ben Gulliver started to crack up laughing. He admitted to being guilty of doing this all of the time. I might just get my two kids to go and draw on his car with a set of keys!
TRP verdict:  For an Aussie the Bay of Plenty should be off-limits, but on this occasion we’ll let you off. You’re in!
2. Diet fads
For the last 12 years I’ve been a personal trainer (jptcorestrength.com) as well as a professional rugby player, so I’ve always watched what I eat. If you eat healthily and have treats in moderation you shouldn’t have a problem with your weight, but some people think they can get all the answers from a celebrity-endorsed diet that they’ve read about in a lifestyle magazine. It doesn’t work like that and they are soon whining about how all the weight has piled back on. One of the most recent fads, which I tried purely out of curiosity, is the intermittent fasting diet where people eat whatever they want for a period of time and then fast – apart from fluids – for the rest of the day. Trouble is when the diet stops they find it hard to get out of the habit of eating whatever they want. Cabbage soup, coconut water…it amazes me that people come up with these crazy ideas – and people buy into them. The simple message should be: if it’s man-made or comes in a package or a box don’t eat it.
TRP verdict:  You’re fit for purpose. That’s 2 out of 2.
3. Winter rugby
I’ve never come across a player or a supporter, when it is bitterly cold, come up and say to me, ‘I wish it was like this all of the time and we could play in these conditions all year round’. It baffles me as to why Rugby Union hasn’t adopted Rugby League’s stance of playing in the summer. The crowds would be bigger because people, particularly families, wouldn’t be put off coming to watch and the game would also be a better spectacle as the firmer surfaces and drier conditions would suit a running game. I’ve been over in the UK for over a decade now and I still haven’t acclimatised! If anything, the winters appear to be getting worse.
TRP verdict: If this is ‘summer rugby’ in Rugby League, I’ll stick to winter! You’re out!