Stuart’s career has spanned elite roles in football, hockey, and judo, before moving into rugby where he’s been a driving force behind Glasgow Warriors’ success and Scotland’s rise on the international stage. Drawing on his unique background as a Commonwealth Games athlete, physiotherapist, and S&C coach, Stuart shares powerful insights into developing players who can thrive at the very highest level.
This episode gives a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Scottish Rugby has evolved over the past decade and what it takes to prepare athletes to perform on the international stage.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Stuart’s unique journey, from weightlifting in his dad’s garage to competing for Scotland – shaped his approach to performance.
• The key differences between preparing players at club vs. international level.
• Why alignment across national pathways has been critical to Scotland’s success.
• How Scottish Rugby has raised physical standards and created a culture of continual improvement.
• Lessons from other sports (including judo, athletics, and AFL) that are now embedded in rugby performance.
• The importance of technical mastery, co-created training programmes, and athlete ownership in achieving world-class results.
• How Scotland are preparing physically to compete with the best rugby nations in the world.

About Stuart Yule
Stuart Yule is Head of Physical Performance with the Scotland national rugby team. A two-time Commonwealth Games competitor in weightlifting, Stuart’s career spans physiotherapy, strength & conditioning, and high-performance coaching. He has worked across football, hockey, and judo before joining Glasgow Warriors, where he played a pivotal role in their domestic and European success. Since 2017, Stuart has been a cornerstone of the Scotland national setup under Head Coach Gregor Townsend, helping raise performance standards and prepare players for the demands of test rugby.

SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241

• ​ Learn Quicker & More Effectively
• ​ Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
• ​ Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
• ​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
• ​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
• ​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
• ​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
• ​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

This week, host Richard Graves is joined by the brilliant Dr. James Morehen,lead performance nutritionist for England Rugby and founder of the Performance Nutrition Network. With a career that’s taken him from snowboarding in Canada to backstage of international test matches, James brings a fascinating, no-nonsense look at the art (and science) of elite-level nutrition.

If you’re a coach, athlete, nutritionist or just curious about what fuels champions, this episode is packed with practical insights, powerful stories, and a few grassroots tips that could change your game.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to fuel for optimal performance and recovery during high-stakes tournaments like the Six Nations
• The importance of preparation, trust, and consistency in elite sports nutrition
• Why carbohydrates aren’t the enemy, and how they’re periodised to match training loads
• How halftime nutrition strategies can make or break a second-half performance
• The real-world challenges of fuelling players during international travel and changing environments
• Simple, effective advice for grassroots players and coaches to improve fuelling and recovery on a budget
• Why Jaffa Cakes and chocolate milk still have a place in post-match recovery
• What inspired James to go from aspiring S&C coach to becoming one of the top performance nutritionists in UK sport
• The importance of building trust with athletes and the subtle art of sideline communication
• James’ thoughts on balancing consistency with cultural curiosity when travelling with elite teams

Whether you're working at the elite level or coaching an U16s team on Sundays, this episode offers something for everyone. As James puts it, "We’re all failed athletes trying to help others be their best."

FREE 7d SCIENCE FOR SPORT ACADEMY TRIAL

SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241

​ Learn Quicker & More Effectively
​ Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
​ Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

🔔 Subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform

• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify
• Stitcher