London - Weighing up to 145kg, the giants of the World Cup need their fair share of good food to keep them going.
Kitchen staff use nutritional science to devise menus that fuel players with up to 6,000 calories per day.
‘Our nutrition programmes come from lab-based research,’ said England’s nutrition consultant Graeme Close. ‘If we get the food right, we can get those extra percentages out of the players.’
But players are sometimes allowed to compromise with home comforts - anything from sushi to goat pies. Here's a look at what's on the menu for some teams at this World Cup.
ENGLAND
Breakfast: Spinach, green beans, chicken, carrots, eggs, porridge, smoked salmon, toast.
Lunch: Spaghetti carbonara, soybeans, curry, sweet potatoes, avocado, lentils, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, fruit.
Afternoon snack: Tuna wraps, protein shake, sliced meats.
Dinner: Cottage pie, chicken, steamed vegetables, beetroot juice.
WALES
Breakfast: Bison sausages, eggs, porridge, lava bread, fruit, nuts, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, potato rosti.
Lunch: Three salmon fillets or four chicken fillets, two portions of carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit, low fat protein mousse.
Afternoon snack: Protein shake, chicken, salad, sliced meats.
Dinner: 12oz fillet steak, two portions of carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit, low fat protein mousse.
FIJI
The Pacific Islanders have turned to a farm in Norfolk for supplies of goat. Fiji’s kitchen staff bought in 15kg of the meat to make goat pies. The meat is popular in Fiji because of its low fat and high protein content.
ITALY
Gelato is one of Italy’s biggest food exports and the Azzurri rugby players are treated to ice cream one night a week. Martin Castrogiovanni revealed that ‘ice cream night’ is his favourite, but players are also allowed cake on birthdays.
JAPAN
Japan’s secret has been their pre-match sushi. On game days, they eat o-nigiri rice triangles and rice balls containing salmon or pickled Japanese plum.
URUGUAY
As well as enjoying a social beer after their games, the South Americans light up a traditional Uruguayan barbecue once a week. The squad gather round for an asado, which involves 40kg of ‘cola de cuadril’ – approximately 1kg of meat per player - otherwise known as rump tail.
ARGENTINA
Despite not being the healthiest dish on the menu, Argentina’s players enjoy meat fillets fried in breadcrumbs – otherwise known as milanesas – and mashed potato. The squad asked the kitchen staff to source ‘dulce de batata y membrillo’ – a sweet quince – but they have not been able to find it in the UK.
CANADA
Sticking to their Maple Leaf traditions, the North American are allowed pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, Greek yoghurt, blueberries and strawberries on the day of a match. But they do not have an entirely sweet tooth, with some players bringing their own hot sauce.
Daily Mail