Pure Protein GRS-5 – the building block of muscle growth and the best supplement for recuperation after weight training and matches
Average training day
AM – Weights / speed
PM – Rugby training and fitness (anaerobic)
Pre-match routine
No fixed routine, relax listening to music. I find it hard to eat before a match so 2 hours before I have a Protein Bars and drink Rapid Recovery Complex. I hour before take some form of caffeine them I’m ready to go.
Most memorable moment
First game for England at Twickenham against South Africa in 1998. Winning the world cup in 2003
Aspirations / goals
To become a professional snowboarder.
Sporting hero (why)
Linford Christie and Will Carling. I grew up watching them both. They have amazing power and speed.
Brief biography
Dan was born in Chiswick, London in 1975 to a Croatian father and Czech mother. Dan inherits his natural speed and agility from his mother who was sprint champion in her native Czechslovakia.
His past clubs include Orrell. Richmond Saracens but he spent most of his professional career playing for Harlequins., the club he had supported as a child. He made his debut for England in 1998 and gained 38 caps scoring an impressive 24 tried. He is probably best known for the last minute winning try against Australia in 2001. Whilst Dan was involved with the England squad they won two six nations championships, one gland slam and the world cup in 2003. After becoming a world cup winner in 2003 Dan became the first ever current international player to move to a foreign club as he signed for Perpignan (USAP) in the south of France. At the end of 2003 Dan received his MBE and launched his book ‘Complete Conditioning for Rugby’ co-written with Harlequin’s conditioning coach Paul Pook. He enjoyed success with USAP and they were runners-up in the French championship.
In 2005 he decided to take a sabbatical from rugby and moved to Croatia to be involved in property development www.luger11.com and also took time to set up his restaurant ‘Pizza Nuova’ in Prague www.ambi.cz. At the same time Dan was playing rugby for the England sevens who won the Hong Kong and LA sevens and finished runners up in the world series.
In 2006 he moved back to the south of France to play for Toulon (RCT).Where he won the title of French pro D2 champion playing along side world greats such as George Gregan and Tana Umaga. He is currently enjoying life living in Nice and is involved with the Nice Cote D'Azur rugby club as player/board member in a project to take them from a 3rd division club to a Top 14 team.
