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Jasmin Strange opens up on her struggle to put on weight, and the secrets to her success

While most athletes fret about avoiding weight gain, the reverse was true for Jasmin Strange. Here Strange opens up on why her coach, and father, pushed her to change her body shape.

For most elite athletes a dietitian wouldn’t recommend visiting McDonald’s several times a week to gain weight, but for NRLW Roosters second rower Jasmin Strange, it was suggested as a necessity.

Overcoming one of the hardest tasks she set on in her rugby league career. Strange has made a successful move into second row, but for a while her struggle to put on weight could have stopped her taking the next step at the highest level.

Reflecting on a stellar year which saw her start every game in the 2024 NRLW season before being moved to the bench for the grand final, Strange realised early into the off-season that something had to change.

Deciding an extra nine kilos and a change in position may just be the thing that does it.

Roosters star Jasmin Strange. Picture: Richard Dobson
Roosters star Jasmin Strange. Picture: Richard Dobson

“I think people only think about body issues when it comes to losing weight, but people don’t take it as seriously for people who struggle to put on weight,” Strange said.

“I have to force myself to be able to eat enough food to be able to put on weight.”

Strange visited a dietitian when she left Newcastle to seek advice on gaining weight in a safe way, but was surprised to find they recommended eating anything as her best option to put on weight.

Still feeling like she was trapped in a corner with the advice to dirty bulk, the 22-year-old still struggled to understand what she could do which would not only help her put on size for rugby league, but maintain a healthy diet.

It wasn’t until her coach and father John benched her for the grand final - telling his daughter she had to put on more weight -, that the wheels were set in motion to change her attitude.

“We have had a few fights about that one (being dropped) but it’s all in love and jokes,” Strange said.

“He (John) doesn’t really have to pester me because I was pretty self motivated, but for him to let me know about something, I know it’s a pretty big deal.

“He told me I had to put on some more muscle and that I lost some weight while I was in Newcastle.

“I took some time to reflect and say that’s true and I need to.”

Despite the recommendation to eat anything, Strange opted for the healthier option of eggs and smoothies, a combination which saw her move from a try scoring centre, to the Roosters starting second rower.

Even her water has protein in it.

But it all seems to have worked, shifting the NRLW’s best player in Olivia Kernick to lock, creating a home in the no. 12 jersey.

“Lots of eggs and smoothies,” Strange told the Telegraph of her way to put on some weight.

“Protein waters, they have like ginger beer flavour, pina colada and things like that, so I also chowed down on those.”

Revealing her struggles after years of battling, body scans done by Strange showed she was categorised as severely under weight after leaving Newcastle in 2023.

But the public perception on how she looked was almost enough to stop her from pursuing a weight gain journey.

Jasmin Strange of the Roosters celebrates after scoring a try during the round three NRLW match between Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters. Picture: Getty Images
Jasmin Strange of the Roosters celebrates after scoring a try during the round three NRLW match between Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters. Picture: Getty Images

“I have struggled a bit with body issues, when I was at Newcastle. I was praised a lot socially for being more feminine looking, and that became what all my worth was,” she said.

“If you try to complain about that people just try to tell you ‘you’re just lucky’, but as a female you actually have to hold the weight in sport, and we lose weight really easy as well.

“Everyone commented about how I looked in a positive way, but then I think I carried that with me and I was afraid to put on weight which I need to do to put on good footy.”

Strange revealed she is only one of many NRLW players who have struggled to gain weight, with Dragons centre Indie Bostock recently revealing she struggled to get her weight right when transitioning to the NRLW.

Bostock, similarly to Strange, saw putting on the weight as a negative thing due to perception, but her older Roosters counterpart believes there is nothing to think twice about.

“There’s a lot more education surrounding nutrition,” Strange said.

“All the NRLW clubs have nutritionists and they speak to us, and show us what we need to be eating for how much we are training.”

It’s not all about her presentability on the field now, with Strange setting her sights on a career in the media.

Garnering over 2.6 million likes on Tik Tok, among hundreds of thousands of followers on all her social media pages, Strange has made a big focus on building her brand away from rugby league.

“A lot of the girls are shy, but I think it’s a sociocultural theme with females having to be above perfect and have higher standards than males,” she said.

“They might be shy to come out and do these things or worry about being embarrassed, but I don’t feel that way.”

Her social media presence has made Strange a household name when out and about in Sydney with the Roosters second-rower repeatedly getting asked by men to tackle them in pubs.

Strange famously tackled a man in a pub in Newcastle on her mad Monday in 2022 after her team won the NRLW premiership, but can’t understand how its become a regular occurrence now.

“I had a bit of issues after with people coming up to me asking me to tackle them, and you never know if there a wally or something and will try and run over you,” Strange said

“I think they need to get a girlfriend.”

Originally published as Jasmin Strange opens up on her struggle to put on weight, and the secrets to her success

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Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/sport/nrl/nrlw/jasmin-strange-opens-up-on-her-struggle-to-put-on-weight-and-the-secrets-to-her-success/news-story/aee2473d28d8bf9d98d1724284c69aeb