Zeenat Simjee Opens Up About Fueling the Springboks | Growing Her Own Practice | World Cup Win

Springbok nutritionist Zeenat Simjee joins Behind the Ruck for an insightful conversation about the science behind fueling some of the world's best rugby players. From her current role working with elite and developing athletes to balancing constant travel, Zeenat shares what life is really like behind the scenes, how she makes time for herself, and the journey that shaped her career. She also reflects on her childhood, family, studies and the lifelong passion for sport that eventually led her to the Springboks. The conversation dives deep into what it takes to prepare a Rugby World Cup winning team. Zeenat unpacks the nutritional demands of international rugby, how every meal is planned with performance in mind, and whether she really deserves the title of "food police." She explains how players are fueled during long haul travel, what a typical Springbok Test match day nutrition plan looks like, and how club rugby players can improve their nutrition without breaking the bank. We also explore Zeenat's private practice, where she helps athletes and everyday people achieve their performance and health goals beyond the Springbok environment. To wrap up, Rudy and Juan discuss the upcoming Nations Championship fixtures and what lies ahead for international rugby. If you've ever wondered what it takes to keep world champions performing at their best, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 04:00 Interview with Zeenat Simjee 04:56 Current career: Nutrition for elite and developing athletes 08:15 Travel and work 10:14 How Zeenat spends her ME time 12:52 Childhood, family and studies 18:39 Lifelong love of sport particularly golf 23:31 Winning 2 World Cups 30:54 Nutrition requirements for a World Cup team 38:16 The food police 45:43 Athlete nutrition for long haul flights 47:07 Typical nutrition plan on a Springbok test match day 55:24 Club rugby nutrition on a budget 01:06:47 Zeenat Simjee's private practice 01:13:34 Nations Championship Fixtures 01:15:05 Sponsors and closing A big shoutout to our official apparel sponsor, Macron! 🏅 Don’t miss their incredible range—check it out here: https://www.macron.com/wo?srsltid=Afm... Our audio sponsor for this episode is PlanetWorld South Africa. Check out their services and products on their website:https://www.planetworld.co.za Connect with us on our social pages 👇 WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vayb... Website: https://www.behindtheruckpodcast.com/ Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/behindtheru... Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@behindtheruck...