Bryan Habana Launches Genetically Guided Online Rugby Training Plan  

Springbok rugby union player Bryan Habana has launched Rugby Gene-ius, a new online training plan tailored to individual DNA.

Open now for registrations, Rugby Gene-ius is inspired by the expertise Habana has gained during a 13-year elite playing career, and is delivered in a personalised online and video format adapted for each individual. 

Focussing specifically on strength and conditioning, rugby players at all levels can now follow a bespoke plan that is not only adapted according to the demands of their on-pitch position, but tailored to take into account the individual’s level of experience and specific genetic make-up. 

Working closely with one of the best sports conditioners he worked with during his career, Stephan du Toit, Bryan Habana has devised a series of training and conditioning drills to fit within an initial three month programme. Each drill and exercise features its own interactive video, audio and text guide from Bryan, providing guidance every step along the way. 

The Rugby Gene-ius web-app takes this core outline and creates a completely personalised training plan for each user based on their individual needs.

The Rugby Gene-ius hub is the central portal that houses everything each rugby player needs to track their progress, manage workouts and balance their training schedule. The flexible nature of the plan means that the work-out sessions can be planned around the user’s availability, intuitively building in rest days to ensure effective recovery. Catering for a range of rugby players from recreational to aspiring elite performers, every subscriber receives access to members of Bryan’s coaching team to provide advice and motivation around their training needs, right down to recommended Spotify playlists taken directly from Habana’s own iPod. 

Bryan Habana, founder of Rugby Gene-ius said: “As I’ve progressed through my career, I’ve seen first-hand how differently people can respond to the same training, and that a one-size-fits-all approach is almost never the best approach. Whilst rugby already recognises the need for different training approaches according to respective on-field positions, by understanding our genetic make-up we can take that personalisation to the next level. 

“By signing up to Rugby Gene-ius, our community can receive more information about themselves and how best to train for their goals, to help them unlock their true rugby potential.” 

The Rugby Gene-ius programme has been created in partnership with DNAFit, a genetics company who has developed a swab DNA test which analyses personal genetic markers attached to fitness and nutrition, helping both elite sportspeople and consumers to better understand how their genetic blueprint can affect diet and training choices.

In November 2016 Bryan Habana revealed his own DNAFit results, and made a call to develop a 1,000 strong database of rugby player DNA, with the ambition to build an even more compelling picture of the rugby training requirements. 

Avi Lasarow, CEO of DNAFit said: “We are delighted to be extending our partnership with Bryan Habana, helping to make a difference to rugby players at all levels of the game via the Rugby Gene-ius programme. Of course, genetics is only part of the picture, but by combining Bryan’s knowledge and experience with a greater understanding of individual DNA, we believe this will deliver the most effective training platform yet.”

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