England and Exeter Chiefs centre Henry Slade has detailed the extra challenges posed by Type 1 diabetes during his unexpected recall to the national side for the summer Tests, including the impact of travel, time zones and a late call-up.
Unexpected recall and diabetes management
Slade, who has Type 1 diabetes and requires insulin injections to maintain his blood sugar levels, faced a particularly demanding period during the launch of the Nations Championship. The tournament involved cross-continental travel and unprecedented stress for players, with the added complication of differing time zones making his diabetes management more difficult.
The 77-cap centre had dropped down the England pecking order despite helping Exeter Chiefs reach the Gallagher PREM final. However, a last-minute withdrawal by George Furbank, who was ruled out of the first Test against the Springboks in Johannesburg with appendicitis, saw Slade brought into the squad.
Managing the condition on the road
“With my diabetes, there’s a lot of travel, and travel does affect you in different ways as well,” Slade explained. “Time zones, different temperatures, all sorts of things. So there were a lot of hurdles to overcome in the summer, but I dealt with them pretty well.”
He added: “Considering how the season had gone internationally for myself, actually not being selected for the whole of it, I wasn’t really expecting to have a big part to play in the summer, although I obviously wanted to. I also wasn’t due to start the first game, but unfortunately for George Furbank, he got appendicitis and I was brought onto the bench. Then I started the next two. So I got a lot more games than I thought I was going to get, which I was happy about.”
Slade revealed the logistical difficulties of preparing for a match at short notice: “The day before a game I tend to eat more carbohydrate than normal because you’re trying to fuel the body for a game of rugby. I only found out about 7.00 or 7.30 the night before the game that I was involved at all, so it was a bit of a shock. I had to get some food in me. I don’t like to eat too late before bed either, and I was up early the next day to try and fuel up. So, yeah, there are challenges in that way, it meant lots of carbs for breakfast.”
Performances and World Cup ambitions
His performances in wins over Fiji in Liverpool and away to Argentina served as a reminder of his international quality, excelling across three different continents over three weekends. He now aims to maintain that form with Exeter, who have started the season with defeats to Gloucester and Bath, with a World Cup at the end of the campaign.
Slade missed selection for the 2023 World Cup in France and knows there is a long road to earning a place in Australia in 2027. Should he make it, he is aware of the extra focus required: “Aside from the obvious thing about making sure you’ve got enough insulin stocked up, I think it’s so different every day, really. I mean, it’s a 24/7 disease. It’s not something you can just turn on and off. Everything affects you in a different way.”
He added: “There would be a different climate, which would affect it. There would be a different time zone, which would affect me. As an athlete, there might be heightened or more activity than normal, more adrenaline, excitement, anticipation – those sorts of things. Everything plays into your blood sugar levels.”
Campaign to raise awareness
Slade was speaking as part of the Tackle Diabetes campaign, following a survey led by Sanofi. The research revealed significant misunderstanding around Type 1 diabetes, with over 40% of UK adults believing it is caused by diet and lifestyle, when it is in fact an autoimmune condition. The number of people living with Type 1 is expected to rise by around 30% worldwide over the next two decades.
Slade was diagnosed at age 18 before experiencing symptoms and has managed the condition while performing at the highest level. Tackle Diabetes, led by Slade in partnership with Sanofi, aims to raise awareness of the signs, symptoms and value of early detection.
