RFU & Premiership Rugby to gain new player data insights with Kitman Labs

credit: Shutterstock
credit: Shutterstock

Sports intelligence platform Kitman Labs will integrate its performance and health data analytics into the Rugby Football Union (RFU) as part of a new multi-year, multi-partner agreement. 

After previously working with Kitman Labs deploying its Performance Optimisation solution in 2023, the RFU will now integrate the Performance Medicine solution to gain greater insights into protecting player health and mitigating injury. 

The Performance Medicine solution in the Intelligence Platform will be rolled out to senior teams and academies across Premiership Rugby and Premiership Women’s Rugby, women’s pathway and the men’s Championship

Simon Kemp, Medical Services Director, RFU, said: “The insights and analytics made possible by centralising player medical and performance data streams are essential in helping to advance the health, welfare and performance of our players.  

“With this technology, our coaches, medical and performance teams will have the data and intelligence necessary to inform decision-making across every department.  

“In addition, by making this system available across the men’s and women’s elite domestic game, we will be able to work collaboratively at a scale to better understand training loads, injury prevention and treatment effectiveness to ensure all players can perform at their best while helping to protect them from injury and illness.”

With a focus on unifying and integrating all data in a single platform to support clinical governance, injury surveillance and to optimise player management, the operating system will power shared intelligence – driving collaboration and supporting insights and analytics between club and country.  

Coaches, practitioners and stakeholders alike will gain access to a real-time, 360-degree view of each player to support monitoring of load management, inform training plans and game strategy, preparation for international duties and return-to-club play to optimise both player welfare and performance outcomes.

Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs, added: “We couldn’t be more excited to renew and expand our partnership with the RFU and Premiership Rugby. 

“The expansion across the men’s and women’s domestic teams will help provide all stakeholders with a complete, objective picture of player health and readiness. The Intelligence Platform will be a formidable tool for all stakeholders in helping to reduce (and understand) injury risk, manage player workload and enhance performance at every level of the sport.”

Kitman Labs adds the RFU and Premiership Rugby to its growing, established track record of implementing its services to top-level sports leagues and clubs, such as the Premier League, NFL, NBA and more.

Earlier this year, Kitman Labs CEO Smith revealed to Insider Sport how the company grew from its inception and how it developed its data to gain the attraction of these high-level sporting organisations.

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