Cross-code star on supplements and the demands of league & union.
Reflecting on his two years in rugby union as he nears a 2024 return to rugby league and the Warriors, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck says he is happy with what he achieved in the 15-man code.
“My goal was to wear the black (New Zealand) jersey. I got to do that, although I do wish my performances could have been better.”
Despite this the 30-year-old dual international has no regrets he made the jump from Mt Smart Stadium to Eden Park in 2021: “I have really enjoyed my time (in union) playing with a great bunch of guys. At the same time, I’m excited to be going back to the Warriors.”
Tuivasa-Sheck says leaping codes is challenging, and not just from a playing perspective. One of the things he believes supports the adjustments he had had to make are supplements provided by New Zealand sports nutrition brand Musashi.
He is an ambassador for Musashi and says supplementation has been “massive” for him since he first starting using the company’s products in 2021. This, he believes, has been one of the things he needs to keep his body in good shape.
He says the physicality of training and playing – as well as the demands to recover well in order to be in the best shape for the next game – resulted in him using a range of Musashi supplements for support including electrolytes, proteins and products like creatine to support muscle energy.
On game day (and training days) he drinks plenty of water to keep hydrated. As kick-off gets closer, he typically starts taking electrolytes for muscle support and to guard against cramps. At halftime, he’ll eat half a protein bar and take on more electrolytes, while after the final whistle he goes straight to a protein shake to support muscle recovery.
Tuivasa-Sheck says Musashi helped with his switch to union because he experienced different demands on his body: “At the Warriors I was a fullback and needed to be quick and agile on my feet whereas when I went over to the Blues I was in the midfield and needed a bit more bulk.
“But I don’t expect it to be quite as challenging when I go back to the Warriors because I’ll be playing in the centres for them, so it won’t be so different,” he says.
Tuivasa-Sheck believes nutrition is important too and goes hand-in-hand with supplementation: “For me it is make-or-break; if I’ve got good nutrition, I function better on the field and am clearer in my mind about what I have to do.”
Tuivasa-Sheck has had one of the most successful cross-code careers. Representing the New Zealand schoolboy rugby union team as a teenager, he went to rugby league in 2011 when he was signed by the Sydney Roosters.
After 84 games and a premiership win in 2013, he signed with the Warriors in 2016, playing 111 games (many of those as captain). Between 2013 and 2019 he appeared in 20 rugby league test matches for New Zealand.
Then came his switch to union at the end of 2021 where he played 18 super rugby games for the Blues and was selected for three test matches in 2022.
“It was different with the Blues,” he says. “As a leader at the Warriors, I was always being asked (by younger players) for help whereas with the Blues I was the rookie, the one learning and doing the asking.”
Although Tuivasa-Sheck believes his chances of attaining his other rugby union goal – selection in the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad – is now unlikely (at the time of this interview the team had yet to be picked), he is looking forward to completing his time in union playing for Auckland in the NPC.
“I’m ready to go with that,” he says. “And once the NPC is over, I think the Warriors are starting their pre-season in November, so I’ll jump straight back in with them then.”
For more information visit Musashi.com
Sports supplements are supplemental to and not a replacement for balanced diet and exercise. Always read the label and take as directed.
Musashi: Vitaco Health (NZ) Ltd, Auckland.