‘I transformed my diet – and became an England rugby player’
 Hannah Botterman is living her childhood dream – playing the sport she loves for her country and gearing up for the World Cup. It’s not been a straightforward road, though. The Bristol Bears prop knew she needed to commit to some serious lifestyle changes if she were to make it this far. And diet was at the top of the priority list. Leaning on convenience foods Botterman comes from a rugby family: her parents both played, and her dad and auntie were capped for England. From a young age, it was clear she had the potential to follow in their footsteps. So, at 16, she moved out of the family home to go to Hartpury Rugby College. But the training was full-on, with long days spent between the pitch and the gym. While she loved playing the games, the fitness side didn’t excite her. She didn’t go back for her second year and stopped playing altogether, eventually becoming a painter-decorator. Although she’d always enjoyed eating and cooking, Botterman turned to convenience foods for quick and easy fuel. “Before work we’d stop off at a petrol station or shop and I’d get a couple of sausage rolls and probably a ridiculously calorific frappe of some kind.” Then, during the day, Botterman often ate a pasty along with almond fingers – her go-to sweet treat. “I’d eat a whole pack of them like it was nothing. But actually, that’s probably my entire calorie intake for the day – with little nutritional value. “I wasn’t eating to perform. I wasn’t thinking about anything other than what I fancied eating in that moment.” Related stories Baked beans, bao buns and pancakes: How footballers stay fuelled during the Euros‘I’m a sports nutritionist and I want you to fall back in love with carbs’How eating more might improve your exercise performance Baked beans, bao buns and pancakes: How footballers stay fuelled during the Euros Baked beans, bao buns and pancakes: How footballers stay fuelled during the Euros ‘I’m a sports nutritionist and I want you to fall back in love with carbs’ ‘I’m a sports nutritionist and I want you to fall back in love with carbs’ How eating more might improve your exercise performance How eating more might improve your exercise performance Breaking habits It was a text that changed the course of Botterman’s future again. It came from one of her childhood coaches, who was now the head coach for Saracens. “He messaged saying, ‘I know you haven’t played for a little while, but do you want to come down and play some sevens for us? Nothing serious, just social.’ “The social side of rugby has always been a big part of why I love playing. So, I played some sevens for him. “Soon, I was training for the normal squad. I wasn’t in any fit shape to play, but I started to enjoy it again. “I got called up at the end of that first season to England, because there were quite literally no other props in the country! But I still wasn’t fit enough. I knew I had to change my lifestyle.” Morning frappes and sausage rolls became high-protein, carb-rich breakfasts with bagels, eggs and chicken sausages or bacon medallions. Still working as a painter-decorator, Botterman had to find a way to cook and eat homemade meals that worked with her schedule. “I started to meal prep so I could bring food to work that I knew was high in protein but not particularly calorific. Things like salads with protein, and fruit for snacks.” After finishing the day job, she’d head to the gym or to training. A change of mindset This wasn’t the first time Botterman had overhauled her diet so dramatically. “I can become quite obsessive – I’ve crash dieted in my time. There are periods when I’ve categorically not eaten enough and lost a lot of weight very quickly. “I know now that’s not good for my bone and muscle health – and it’s bad for recovery too.” So, she had to unlearn her usual dieting habits and challenge herself to do things differently, not compromising her health for results. “I had to learn that things take a little bit longer to do the right way. “The mix of being more active and eating correctly meant my body composition and my weight changed relatively dramatically. Once I’d lost 5-10 kilos, I started to be able to move around the pitch better. I quickly saw performance benefits. “Muscle development and growth took a bit longer, around six months to a year. I had dropped the weight and felt better for it, but then I needed to change my body composition to have more lean mass as opposed to fat mass.” Hannah Botterman walking out of the tunnel for the World Cup warm-up game vs Spain Slowly, Botterman started to feel stronger and more resilient to injury. And, most importantly, these changes helped her embrace the parts of rugby – training and conditioning – that she’d always disliked. “And yeah, I guess now I’m here,” she says looking at her England Rugby camp surroundings. “The changes haven’t all been physical, though. Because I was feeding my brain what it needed, I started feeling better about myself and had a big shift in mindset.” Fuelling like a pro Luckily for Botterman, she has access to experts who help her make the right decisions, and this is especially important during times of injury or recovery – as well as during intense tournaments like the World Cup. The day before each game will be carb-filled so she has enough energy to perform at her best. Then, on matchdays, it’s still about those carbs, only in smaller portions: “In that pre-match meal I usually have a small bowl of pasta, mainly just to satiate myself.” Post match, the attention turns to protein and getting calories in as quickly as possible. While others tuck into pizza or chicken, Botterman will be sticking to the post-match shakes. “I’ll have a load of adrenaline going around and that makes eating a struggle for me. I’ll drink a milkshake with a decent amount of protein.” The importance of enjoying food While Botterman takes nutrition seriously, she still doesn’t see food solely as fuel. She knows her enjoyment of eating helps her to maintain a positive mentality. “When I was dieting before, there would always be a finish line. So I’d lose weight then go back to how I was. Now, I’m finding ways to enjoy food that are sustainable and help me stay consistent with my fitness.” As well as eating, Botterman gets a kick out of preparing and sharing food – and this feeds positively into her lifestyle. “I really love cooking food for people. Whether it’s feeding friends or making something for special occasions like Christmas. It’s a way of bringing everyone together. And I get a great feeling when people enjoy the food I make. “I like experimenting and learning different cooking techniques. It’s become a big hobby for me.” And if Botterman could have a dream – dare we say match-winning – dinner? “Definitely steak. Cooked medium rare with a creamy mushroom sauce and fries. “I’ve got three puddings that are my absolute favourites. I love Eton mess (no coulis), banoffee pie – with a decent amount of cream – and lemon meringue pie. “Can I have three puddings in this dream meal? That’s what I’d want.” Originally published September 2025 Want more? 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