Brendon Bale is an active rugby player from Salisbury, UK. Curious about the impact of adding more plants to his diet, he tried eating plant-based for a week. After seeing a noticeable difference in his energy, fitness and overall wellbeing, he’s been firmly committed to living a plant-based lifestyle ever since. Initially, Brendon backlash from his peers and teammates for his diet choice, but after witnessing the health benefits, their outlook has changed. Brendon’s newfound support for living a plant-based lifestyle led him to establish the Green Gazelles, an all-vegan rugby team – bringing like-minded people together and sharing a positive message about athletes who choose plant-based diets.

Post-filming update: Due to the COVID-19 restrictions in the UK, Brendon and the Green Gazelles have had to cancel or postpone the majority of their planned matches and tournaments through mid-Summer, resulting in a slight dip in sponsorship funding. To keep morale and athleticism high, the team is working hard behind the scenes to train, share videos, conduct team swag giveaways and get together virtually as a team to devise strategies for their next game. Long term, Brendon is hard at work on creating a “plant-based academy” where rugby players and athletes around the world who are curious about adopting a plant-based diet can meet with Green Gazelles players and the team’s nutritionist to receive information, ask questions and garner a bit of mentorship.