＜ニュース記事抜粋訳文＞
1RB東芝ジュニアチャンピオンシップのような世界大会期間中において、食事というものはすべてのラグピー選手たちにとって非常に重要なものです
・・・（略）・・・
「正直言って、我々はさほど期待はしてなかった。しかし、ホテルスタッフと非常によい連携を持てている。彼らは我々の要求にフレキシブルに対応してくれるので全く問題はなく過ごせている。」とイタリアチームのフィジカルセラピストのマルコ氏は語ります。
・・・（略）・・・
「我々は出発前に標準のメニューを送ったんだ。というのも我々にとって海外渡航中の地中海式の体重管理はとても重要だからね。プラザオーサカは我々のリクエストに耳を傾け、そのリクエストに常に応えてくれるんだ。」
・・・（略）・・・
チーム管理として、選手たちが食べ過ぎないように食事量のチェックもされています。過度なカロリーの摂取、体重の増加のないように、ロールパンは2個以上食べることをゆるされていません。食事会場の入り口には体重のチェックシートが壁に貼られ、選手とコーチは毎日自分の体重を記入しているのです。
・・・（略）・・・
イタリアチームの宿泊先の料理長でフランス料理のプロである大平信雄氏は、イタリアチームの滞在当初のミーティング後、直ちにたんぱく質と炭水化物の友好的な摂取に取り組んだ。
・・・（略）・・・
しかし、この厳密な体重管理下においてでも、大平料理長はたこ焼きのような地元料理をイタリアチームに紹介しようとしています。
「彼らはもう10日以上も滞在し、同じ味に食傷気味になっているに違いないでしょう。彼らは外出する機会もほとんどなく、地域のグルメに接する機会もないでしょう。だからこそ、いろんな種類の日本の料理をプラザオーサカで体験してもらいたい。私たちは全力を尽くします。イタリアチームに勝利してほしいから」と大平氏は語っています。 |
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For every rugby player what you eat during a global tournament, such as
the IRB TOSHIBA Junior World Championship 2009, is of the utmost importance.
Not only do they need to maintain their peak physical condition, food is
also important for making you feel at home and relaxed.
If the destination of that tournament happens to be 6,000km away from home
and with a completely different culture, not to mention cuisine, as it
is for some teams at this year’s Junior World Championship in Japan, then
the transition can be increasingly difficult.
However the Italian team have found that the hospitality they receive at
their base, the Plaza Hotel Osaka, has been of a particularly high standard.
“To be honest we didn’t expect this but here we have a very good relationship
with the hotel staff. We have no problems with asking for what we need
and they are flexible to modify things,” said Italy’s physiotherapist Marco
Zaccagna.
“That is very beneficial in maintaining good conditions especially on a
long trip like this. It helps in taking our stress away.
“We sent them our standard menu from Italy because, for us, keeping a Mediterranean
diet is very important while being abroad. They are always available to
listen to our requests, and what we ask for is always given.”
Protein and carbohydrates are key
The hotel normally serves tofu, salmon, salads and meat on their menu,
but pasta can be prepared on the spot if the players would prefer something
simpler. All of the food, though, has to be checked before the players
can eat it.
“We check the foods and if there is something which is not good for players,
I ask the chef to change it,” explained Zaccagna.
“Proteins and carbohydrates are the key nutrition for any athlete. In Italy,
we take carbohydrates from pasta and bread, and protein from meat. Here,
they serve lots of fish and that is also very good for getting protein.”
The players, however, are not allowed butter, mayonnaise, cream, tomato
sauce or any fried foods. Instead a high quality virgin olive oil and parmigiano
(cheese) are provided for them.
The team management must also check the quantities of food that the players
eat – no more than two bread rolls are allowed to avoid excess calories
– and also their weight. There is a weight check sheet on the wall at the
entrance to their dining room, where all players and coaches note their
weight every day.
Weigh in
“Every morning we have a scale and check the weight to know if the balance
of liquid and solids are good. We must especially pay attention to how
much weight the players lose after the match,” added the physiotherapist.
Nobuo Ohira, the chef at the team hotel, specialises in French cuisine
and this has certainly proved beneficial for both parties involved – despite
a few lessons being learnt over the first few days.
“For me, it is not difficult to prepare Italian dishes, but once we started
serving, we realised that there were many do’s and don’ts. At the beginning,
I liked to serve them sophisticated cuisine with sauce, but then realised
that they prefer something simple, like a grilled fish with salt and olive
oils or just roasted chicken.”
On the day of the match, about four hours before kick-off, players eat
a specially prepared meal by Ohira, which is rich in protein and carbohydrate,
usually consisting of pasta, roasted chicken, boiled potatoes and vegetables.
However, despite having a strict diet to stick to, the head chef has been
trying to introduce some local specialties, such as Taco-yaki, a savoury
dish with octopus, to the Italians.
“They’ve been here for more than 10 days already and must be getting tired
of the same tastes. They have little chance to go out and taste the local
specialities, so instead we let them have some experiences of typical Japanese
cuisine here. We try our best because we want them to win,” exclaimed Ohira.
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