Our guest Speaker – Kat Darry.
Kat Darry considers herself to be incredibly fortunate – she travels the world doing a job she loves and gets paid to do. Kat is the nutritionalist to the All Blacks and is in charge of each player’s journeys with using food to improve their playing ability.
Kat grew up on a South Canterbury farm and always had an interest in healthy eating. Following a Health Science Degree and further dietary study, she set up a small practice in Dunedin and was soon “scoped” out by the late Gordon Hunter and Laurie Mains to work with the Otago rugby team.
She was a little unsure about this and started off with the Otago University team instead but with the advent of Super Rugby in 1995 she joined the Highlanders while continuing with her private practice.
In 2000, with a two-week-old baby in tow, Kat began her first stint with the All Blacks – working with the nation’s top players in their Super Rugby franchises.
“The All Blacks were totally accommodating of my family situation (Kat had three young children by this stage) and it was a dream job,” she told us.
But in 2002 with a change in coaching, there come a complete reshuffle in team management and her services were no longer required. Then in 2008 she was again approached to join the All Blacks and leapt at the chance.
For several years it was a part-time role, within New Zealand only, but since 2015 she has been full-time with the All Blacks, including all overseas tours.
“I am the person the players love to hate,” she jokes “because I am the one that tells them they are unfit and fat.”
Kat works exclusively with New Zealand’s elite top 50 rugby players, both when they are in camp with the All Blacks or their Super Rugby franchise, as well as when they are at home in the off-season.
When the All Blacks are in camp, it is her job to prepare the menus and ensure the food is ready for the players – and from what she told us All Blacks certainly can eat a lot.
If the team is touring overseas, Kat goes ahead of the players and organises the hotels to provide the food she wants the players to eat and that the facilities are what the team requires.
There was a very lively and interesting question and answer session to end what was a fascinating presentation. Thank you Kat for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us.
Matamata Dramatic society, latest show