Conrad Smith, Sonny Bill Williams and Codie Taylor traded passes with pupils in Bridgend
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.walesonline.co.uk
Ever wondered what was in the hump at the top of the All Blacks and other rugby players jerseys? The hump is called a Bro, which some say is named after the bra, but anyway, contained in this pocket is a tracking device.
There are various suppliers, but fundamentally it is able to track their GPS location, monitor their movement including G-Forces in a tackle and other factors such as respiration and heart rate.
Apparently it was of little interest to the schoolboys as the All Blacks trained with school children in South Wales, no surprises there, they are in high demand as role models and respected for their achievements anywhere i the world where rugby is enjoyed.
This technology has been developing at a rapid pace and is extremely useful in learning about peak fitness, injuries and of course improving player and team development.
There are now new technologies being marketed which will do the same and more indoors and in other places where you can’t get an accurate, or in some cases any GPS signal.
Currently the information is used by team coaches and management, physios etc, but the next step with companies like STATSports http://statsports.com/sports/rugby/ is that they are now signing deals which will give access to information to broadcasters http://statsports.com/technology/broadcast/ which will power them with instant information about things like how far a player has run, acceleration, G-Forces in tackles and much more.
Where will this head in the future? Think the rugby games on your Play Station are cool? One day you will be able to put on a VR or virtual reality onesie, full of sensors and with VR goggles and you will be able to play your favorite rugby game, as the player of your choice, and even replay the moves of a particular match as it was played, bumps and all.
If Steve Hanson is worried about opposition knowing what the All Blacks set pieces and secret plays are, they had better watch the chip on their backs and make sure they are not transmitting them to opposition analysts.
What I find really exciting is that his type of technology has the ability to improve sports competitors abilities without the need for drugs or enhancers. There has to be a lot more satisfaction in knowing that using science, we can advance naturally by understanding our bodies better. At the same time we are spawning all sorts of new technology that will help people with disabilities and conditions have better lives.
So next time you ask a rugby player about his Bro, make it clear which one you are asking about.
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