English rugby’s heaviest player explains why he eats only one meal a day after wild 20kg body transformation

Northampton Saints star JJ van der Mescht only eats one meal a day, but he’s still the heaviest player ever seen in England.

The 26-year-old South African towers over his Saints teammates and is a history-maker in Premiership Rugby.

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He stands at 6ft 7in tall and tips the scales at a monster 145kg.

That weight makes him the joint-heaviest player ever in English rugby, level with Exeter’s Ehren Painter and Josh Iosefa-Scott.

The Saints lock has to have his training wear specially made, with Macron making his own 6XL-sized gear.

Van der Mescht was already 6ft 3in tall and weighed 130kg at 13 years old, with him being a physical specimen his whole life.

Many would presume that to reach such a weight, a player would have to follow an impressive diet of plenty of food.

However, it turns out it’s the opposite for Van der Mescht, as he doesn’t actually eat much at all.

“People laugh, but I only eat once a day,” he told the Telegraph.

“I don’t eat breakfast, don’t eat lunch. I’ll just have a big dinner – usually steak or lamb.

“On a game day, I’ll eat breakfast and maybe have a shake after a game. That keeps my weight the way I want it.

“It’s weird, it looks like I consume a lot of food but my stomach is so small now I can’t eat that much.”

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Why does Van der Mescht only eat one meal?

Van der Mescht made the decision to only eat one meal a day after reaching 165kg while playing for old club, Stade Francais.

He turned up to pre-season at the huge weight following plenty of food at his wedding.

So, to get his weight down to allow him to play at his best still, he took it upon himself to impressively cut a massive 20kg.

All in the genes

Due to his incredible height and weight, Van der Mescht stands out on the pitch, even amongst other giants.

And it’s actually no surprise to learn that his parents have passed down some super genes to their son…

He explained: “My mum was 6ft 3in and had size 12 men’s shoes and my dad is also a big guy and pro wrestler.”

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“He was a world champion in wrestling, real wrestling,” the Saints star added on his dad’s past in sport.

“That’s how they met because my mum’s brother was also a wrestler and my grandfather was his coach.”

Van der Mescht signed for Northampton in the summer and he’s already making his mark on the Premiership.

The Saints sit top of the table without losing a game so far this season, winning four of their opening five outings.

“I never thought a club like Saints would go for me with the way I play and the way they play,” Van der Mescht said on joining the team. “Saints were the first club to recognise what I can bring.

“They gave me confidence in my abilities, which I have not had in a long time, where the whole coaching staff backs me and the players back me to do what I do.”