The rapid evolution of technology over the past two decades has only been matched by the rapid implementation of the technology in professional sport. From hawk-eye and third match review systems to how the players are trained and monitored after a performance, technology has influenced sport across the board.

Rugby has been one sport that has wholly embraced the evolution of technology and it is the player tracking systems that have become the most popular tool for coaches and team managements. Previously just used for training, the development of more smaller and efficient equipment means that player tracking during games has become practically mainstream. And it is something that will be extensively used at this year’s Rugby World Cup.

The pioneers of using technology in assisting the application of sports science to player movement whilst training and coaching is Irish company STATsports. Their product named the Viper system streams live data in real-time through their software for full analysis from the performance team. With the ability to either provide the live information or log it for after the match, the system has proved very popular with sports teams as it is now in use at clubs across the Premier League, NFL, NBA, La Liga and now, the Rugby World Cup.

STATsports’ General Manager Paul Johnson said that the importance of statistics and data in maximising player performance was significant in professional sport, a paradigm where the difference between a win and a lose is minimal.

The team at STATSports will be supporting a number of our current clients as well as being on hand for the sport analysis teams. The Rugby World Cup is a fantastic sporting event and we are proud to be involved with the England and Ireland set up. Measuring a player’s performance has become so important to teams involved at the elite end of sport.  The margins of success are so small these days but providing live data on an individual players performance can be the important factor in terms of success.

With STATsports recently signing a league wide deal with the RFL in England and the AFL in Australia which will see them enter the broadcast industry in late 2015, you can expect to see a lot more of them.