Whilst England’s ex Rugby Captain, Phil Vickery is celebrating his BBC Celebrity Masterchef success, Exeter’s own rugby stars are trying out a culinary masterclass of their own at Exeter College this week.

A group of 14 Chiefs players, from both the senior and academy teams, joined the chef lecturers at the college to find out how fresh food, cooked well is the essential start to preparing for the challenges of top standard rugby.

Organised through the Rugby Players Association, the teams were challenged to focus on new ways of catering for themselves with healthy options being top of the menu.

Ian Biggar, one of the chef lecturers welcomed the Exeter Chiefs adding “It’s great to be able to teach a new group of people about how easy it is to cook fresh food well which will have a direct benefit on how they feel and perform. Exeter College has won the Healthy FE Colleges status and this is just another way that we can get the key messages across that healthy food isn’t difficult. Whilst we work on some very high level culinary skills with our young students during the day this taster event tonight was hopefully whetting the player’s appetite for some more sessions in the future.”

Josh Frape from the Rugby Players Association, who also attended the session said, “This is a great opportunity for the players to not only find out about healthy food but also to hone some of their culinary skills or discover new interests. We organise these event as part of the players’ development programme and we’re hoping that this may trigger interest in setting up restaurants or pubs as part of their future.”

Learning how to make focaccia bread and how to dice a rabbit may not be part of the normal training regime for Exeter Chiefs but Henry Slade, fly half, said “It’s good to get ideas about different and unusual food. I normally cook chicken or steak so cooking a rabbit is definitely different”

Aych Hoani Tui, who recently shadowed the star chefs at Michael Caines’ Abode, added “I’ve been able to do more ‘hands on’ cooking here – I know I’m not going to be playing rugby all my life so this will really help if I’m thinking of setting up my own restaurant in new Zealand.”

Haydn Thomas added “Cooking isn’t my strong point so I’m keen to learn – I love fishing but often give all the fish away!!”

For further information, call Sylvia Jarman on 01392 205585, 07800 745855 or sylviajarman@exe-coll.ac.uk