Leinster's Dave Kearney makes a pitch for healthy eating

THE thrill of winning is a feeling that professional rugby player Dave Kearney says he can’t quite explain, but it’s one that drives him to do all he can to stay in peak physical condition.

Training and fitness are a huge part of the picture, but so too is good nutrition. The Ireland and Leinster star says eating the right food is inextricably linked to his performance on the pitch.

And that means making sacrifices. For instance, he took just a single day off at Christmas and while he enjoyed a festive dinner with family, he didn’t go over the top. He trained on Christmas Eve and was back on the pitch again on St Stephen’s Day. “It’s something you get used to. It’s a choice. You just don’t go off and have pizza and chips and burgers,” he tells Feelgood.