The Sports Office Partner with Irish Rugby Football Union IRFU

IRFU take on The Rugby Squad:

The Sports Office is delighted to have reached an agreement with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to supply a Performance Management system for use by all of Irish rugby’s high-performance representative teams.

All four Provinces and National teams will benefit from ‘The Rugby Squad’, The Sports Office’s bespoke system for elite rugby organisations. Both men’s and women’s senior teams, plus all age group squads will be managed together in one centralised hub.

The full ‘Rugby Squad’ system includes modules to support coaching, sports science, medicine, finance, admin and scouting. IRFU video and performance analysis staff will also be able to combine their work with other departments to maximise the potential of all players within Irish rugby’s elite player pathway.

The Rugby Squad allows effective monitoring and management of every player’s training load plus their coaching minutes and wellbeing. It also enables the creation of Individual Development plans for each player and the ongoing monitoring of these. This will enhance player tracking and development of all IRFU teams.

The newly released Sports Office App will assist all users, including staff and players in managing their own schedules, development and wellbeing. Communication between provincial and national staff and athletes are enhanced with instant messaging functionality and documents.

The IRFU will also use ‘The Rugby Squad’ to support talent identification and to also plan for the future with the system’s detailed view of available playing resources.

The Sports Office Senior Client Support Manager Stuart Jones commented: “The IRFU recognise that player development throughout the academy to on the pitch performance is the most important thing. They have chosen our system to provide the framework to support every department in reaching their full potential.

“We are delighted to be working with them and we look forward to supporting the implementation of Rugby Squad within their teams and playing structures.”

Jones added: “Irish teams are recognised as being among the best in world rugby and we believe our system can enhance their efforts to continuously improve and optimise all aspects of performance and preparation.”

IRFU 2019 Guiness Six Nationd championship

2019 Guinness Six Nations Championship Round 3, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy 24/2/2019
Italy vs Ireland
The Ireland team stand for the National Anthem
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

David Nucifora, IRFU Performance Director, commented, “Irish rugby have for years now placed their player management program at the forefront of their strategy for both developing and supporting our professional players. In continually looking at ways to improve our player management and player development strategies we have made a decision to align ourselves in a partnership with ‘The Sports Office’. As we strive to be world-leading in the area of Athlete Management and development we believe that our partnership with The Sports Office will enable us to achieve this ambition.”

Many elite rugby organisations throughout the world are among The Sports Office’s varied client base. These include governing bodies such as Argentina Rugby Union, teams in the SANZAR Super Rugby competition and the Australian NRL.

The Rugby Squad users also include clubs in the UK’s Rugby League Super League and teams in Major League Rugby.

The full system implementation of ‘The Rugby Squad’ will begin in March 2019.

11th March 2019 /

The Sports Office New Medical Interface Preview

NEW: Medical Enhancements

The Sports Office latest system update offers a range of new features to assist all medical practitioners.

The new easy to use interface provides access to all injury data on one page allowing users to cross-reference medical notes. This provides faster processes for accessing information and adding injuries, SOAP notes and other medical data.

An all-new charting feature provides access to a number of reports and injury data for an extensive player review.

These Medical Enhancements will improve the overall workflow for all medical users of any of The Sports Office Systems.

This update will be live across all systems early March 2019.

For more information on the upcoming medical enhancements, contact The Sports Office now.

22nd February 2019 /

The Sports Office System Updates

The latest enhancements to The Sports Office performance management systems for elite sport are now live. The new enhanced functionality provides a faster interface for coaches, scouts, administration teams and all other users.

Coaching/Fixtures:

Custom Positions:

The fixture/session planner allows users to create custom positions for players or athletes in their teams. This update allows greater flexibility for staff users to bespoke positions across the field diagram. This development compliments the new Session Planner features.

New Session Plan Features & Print Out:

Session Planner from The Sports Office to assist Coaches with fixture planning

NEW SESSION PLAN FEATURES

The Sports Office has made design improvements to the Session Planner. These have been made along with additional options. Users can print out the relevant information ready for coaching assistance and fixture planning. ( ADD EVO SPORT)

Another option includes defining a default pitch when a drill diagram is not assigned to an activity.

Further information is presented in the diagram with player availability.

Auto-Population of Position & Game Time:

This enhancement enables a quicker population of game time and position played. This improvement also allows you to assign a defined club position to each selection on all formations on all squad sizes. This functionality enables the player position to auto-populate within the game time page of a fixture.

Recruitment:

Depth Charts – New Future Squads:

The Sports Office are delighted with the significant upgrade to the displaying of future squads, offering a completely new depth chart feature. It enables Staff to view any potential gaps in future squads by creating custom depth charts. Users can overlay multiple charts for an extensive review and to also highlights current talent is within their academy structures.

These charts are available in a range of views including two single year views (horizontal/vertical), multi-year and pitch views. These are fully exportable into PDF format and can be download to Microsoft Excel.

Football pitch view of potential future squads

Recruitment: Future Squads Depth Charts

Admin:

Document Library Upload Alerts:

Alerts can now be set up to inform users of any new documents uploaded and assigned to them on the system. The email alert will provide a link for the user, allowing easy access to the assigned document.

For more information on these system updates or to arrange a webinar contact your Client Manager or The Sports Office now.

14th February 2019 /

UAR Argentina Rugby Union Choose The Sports Office

Buenos Aires, Argentina:

The Sports Office are excited to announce that Argentina Rugby Union (UAR) is the latest major nation to choose our performance management system for elite rugby.

The UAR will use ‘The Rugby Squad’ system throughout their structures, including the Argentina national team ‘Los Pumas’. They are 10th in the World Rugby rankings currently and compete in the Rugby Championship. The Union’s Super Rugby team, Los Jaguares, will also use ‘The Rugby Squad’ to maximise the potential of their players.

Chris Tuson Client Manager presenting to UAR staff on The Rugby Squad

Teams in Argentina’s semi-professional and amateur competitions will also benefit from the system. High-performance rugby centres throughout the country will also be using the same platform as a centralised system.

Stuart Jones and Chris Tuson from The Sports Office Client Management team recently visited Buenos Aires to help UAR staff launch and implement the system.

Stuart Jones said: “We are delighted to welcome the UAR as a Sports Office client. Both the Argentina national team and Los Jaguares regularly compete at the highest level and we believe The Rugby Squad will provide excellent support as they strive for further success.”

Jones added: “The trip to Buenos Aires was a great success and we met with each department to help implement the system across the organisation.

“We are confident the whole of Argentinian rugby will benefit from The Rugby Squad’s many features.”

The implementation of the system within UAR structures consisted of full training days for staff in coaching, sports medicine, sports science and administration departments. Staff from the organisation’s high-performance centres also met with the Client Management team.

One element of the UAR’s use of The Rugby Squad system will be to improve scheduling. This will enable players from across a geographically large nation to attend training without timing conflicts. Improving sports medicine, sports science testing and data collection are also areas to benefit.

Los Pumas and Los Jaguares Training in Buenos Aires

Dublin, Ireland:

The Sports Office CEO, Phil Clarke and Client Managers Stephen Young and Dan Jackson recently met with Los Pumas coaching and management staff in Dublin, prior to their Autumn International against Ireland.

They met with all national team medical, coaching and performance staff including Alex Ross and Lucas Chioccarelli. The Client Managers went to ensure all Argentina player profiles were properly set up on the system. Specific injury fields and scheduling were also set up for the rest of the season.

Many elite rugby organisations throughout the world are among The Sports Office’s varied client base. These include governing bodies, teams in the SANZAR Super Rugby competition and the Australian NRL. Also, clubs in the UK’s Rugby League Super League and now in Major League Rugby over in USA.

If your organisation needs a centralised system allowing all departments to share data and information, contact The Sports Office now.

10th December 2018 /

NEW Medical Enhancements for 2019

The Sports Office has exciting developments and enhancements across the system to come for 2019, including site-wide and bespoke developments for specific clubs. The Medical module, the most powerful across the site is to go under a remodel with a brand new interface.

The new medical dashboard from The Sports Office

The new and improved medical dashboard provides easier access to current and previous medical data. This includes access to current and previous injuries, notes and other medical information.

Medics will soon see more information with fewer clicks. Faster processes for adding injuries, creating SOAP notes and accessing medical information will provide a significant improvement to the user experience.

These developments will be going LIVE in Spring 2019. The Sports Office centralised hub cohesively brings all departments together to work on one platform.

For more information on our developments and enhancements, or if you think your organisation could benefit from The Sports Office, contact us now!

7th December 2018 /

Canberra Raiders

Canberra Raiders:

The Sports Office’s Head of Client Services, Andy Gorski, recently travelled to Australia to work with leading National Rugby League club, Canberra Raiders, to deliver a full system implementation. All of the Raiders’ playing groups, including the first team, the Jersey Flegg team plus the Junior and Women’s teams have started to use The Sports Office’s ‘Rugby Squad’ platform for athlete management.

Staff from Coaching, Medicine, Sports Science and Administration departments have all received training. They are delighted with how quickly they have been able to integrate it into their daily workflows.

System Implementation:

The five-day on-site implementation was delivered at the Raider’s training facility prior to the start of the pre-season programme. Andy Gorski initially worked closely with the Coaching staff to prepare the system before players returned.

The following two days were spent with the Medical and Strength and Conditioning staff, focusing on pre-season screening and testing. Playing squads were also supported to gain access to their designated areas of the system, to view team schedules and wellbeing data.

Andy Gorski commented “This implementation and set-up for Canberra Raiders was a great success and we believe this aspect of our service is highly beneficial for our clients.

“The Club and Staff were friendly and welcoming and we’re delighted to have Canberra Raiders as one of the latest members of The Sports Office ‘club’.”

During the implementation visit, Andy Gorski also worked closely with Raider’s Performance staff Matt Ford and Wendy Bennett. This ensured all users had an account with a populated schedule and that elements including accurate GPS data points were input to prepare for future data collection.

Andy Gorski Teaching players how to use The Sports Office system

The Raider’s medical department also received support with the set up for injury surveillance, fitness testing, monitoring and screening in order to be ready for the NRL season. In addition, the bespoke medical dashboard was set up, ready for club-specific injury fields.

All dashboards and reports were configured to ensure player availability was transparent and accurate for Head of Performance, Nigel Ashley-Jones. This functionality allows sports science staff to monitor players’ physical wellness and test results.

The Raiders continued their use of the ‘Rugby Squad’ during a pre-season camp which included an intensive week of training. During this, the system allowed the staff to create the players’ daily schedule and training plans.

The Canberra pre-season programme now continues until the NRL kick-off in March 2019. The Sports Office Client Management team will continue to provide ongoing assistance with the performance management system.

The Sports Office provides online performance management systems for elite sport, which offer a range of functionality. The systems support key performance processes including athlete monitoring and training load management. In addition, the Raider’s will also be using the system to assist with injury prevention, administration, and sports analytics.

Many elite rugby organisations throughout the world are among the company’s varied client base. These include governing bodies, teams in the SANZAR Super Rugby competition, the Australian NRL and clubs in the UK’s Rugby League Super League.

If your club needs a centralised hub, allowing departments to cohesively work under one system, contact The Sports Office now!

3rd December 2018 /

Record Level of Automated Custom Reports through The Sports Office Systems

The volume of automated custom reports generated by The Sports Office performance management systems ‘Report Engine’ has reached a record level.

In September 2018, more than 8000 instant reports and 1200 automated reports were delivered using 167 unique templates for users across elite sports using the ‘Report Engine’. These clients included teams in the Premier League, Serie A and MLS. As well as clients in elite rugby, pro cycling, ice hockey and sports academies. They covered a broad range of data including training loads, injury data, future squads and more.

The Sports Office performance management systems allow users to quickly and easily trigger the output of reports across their bespoke performance criteria and key performance indicators. All reports export into a visually accessible style. They are also available to view and download on all devices, including desktops, tablets and mobiles.

“We are delighted that this record volume of reports has been achieved by our performance management systems”, commented Phil Clarke

Phil added: “Our systems offer clients the option to fine-tune the reports they create and set up, so they are completely bespoke to their own needs. The reports provide highly-accurate insights which are easy to share and understand, and users can have full confidence in them. Presenting critical information in a simple way is the most important thing in sport and our experience has made us the best at doing this.”

Custom Reports Example from The Sports Office Report Engine

Custom Report Example from The Sports Office Report Engine

Custom Reports Across the World:

The capacity to generate a huge range of custom reports in real-time is just one element of The Sports Office systems. More than 100 professional football clubs, competing in the world’s most high-profile competitions use our systems. This includes teams from the English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A and the MLS.

Several major national sports governing bodies have also chosen to adopt The Sports Office athlete monitoring systems. One of these is the Scottish FA, who use it throughout their structures. This includes all their national teams and all seven of their Performance Schools.

Elsewhere in the world of elite sport, clients include clubs in North America’s NHL and professional cycling teams. Many elite rugby organisations throughout the world are also among the company’s varied client base. Including national governing bodies, teams in the SANZAR Super Rugby competition, the Australian NRL. Along with clubs in the UK’s Rugby League Super League.

Learn more about how clubs like Aberdeen FC and The Blues use our systems, and contact us to find out more!

18th October 2018 /

The Sports Office Performance Management Systems enhance player welfare in elite rugby

Player Welfare & Safety Programme:

The Sports Office has enhanced its work with the RFU and Premier Rugby to support their world-renowned player welfare and safety programme in elite rugby.

Prior to the current season, the Sports Office Client Management team visited every Gallagher Premiership club. They met with medical staff to share best practice in injury surveillance and medical monitoring; when using the company’s rugby-specific performance management system, The Rugby Squad. They also offered additional advice about using the system for many other aspects of performance, preparation and athlete monitoring.

The team met with new members of staff at each club. A written Practitioner Guide and a series of guidance videos have also been produced. These show how best to use The Rugby Squad systems in this specific injury surveillance area.

They will also ensure new staff are able to support all processes within the Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project.

elite rugby governing body and league work with The Sports Office

RFU, Premier Rugby & TSO

Andy Gorski, Head of Client Services at The Sports Office, commented: “Our visits to clubs in the Gallagher Premiership provided a fantastic opportunity to contribute more to this important injury surveillance and player welfare programme.

“It was the first time the Sports Office client team met with club medical staff. Which proven to be a beneficial experience for everyone. We were able to offer additional support on the best use of our systems for additional performance management activity.”

Gorski added: ”The Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project provides the sport with important data that can help improve standards of player welfare and medical management. We continue to work with our clients at the RFU and Premier Rugby to offer them the support they require to maintain and enhance this crucial initiative.”

Rugby Injury Surveillance Project:

The long-term Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project has been possible due to the bespoke performance management system, developed by The Sports Office. The study is set to improve professional player welfare and is the most comprehensive of its type.

The Sports Office worked with senior medical staff at the RFU to develop a system which allows sports medicine and coaching personnel at clubs and national teams to easily input an extensive range of medical and performance data. The system then supports extensive analysis of this. This includes sharing management information, the creation of detailed medical reports and baseline data to identify patterns and trends in injuries, via comparison with previous seasons.

The RFU, Premier Rugby and the Rugby Players Association originally commissioned the Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance project in 2002 as joint creation. It monitors player injury risk in Premiership, European club and international competition, as well as in training.

The Sports Office provides online performance management systems for elite sport, which offer a range of functionality. The systems support key performance processes including athlete monitoring and training load management. Also, injury prevention, sports science, sports medicine, administration, coaching and sports analytics.

18th September 2018 /

New video features are ‘game-changers’ for analysts and coaches

The Sports Office staff have been radically enhancing the systems use of video for performance analysis and coaching. A series of new features will maximise player/athlete engagement and personal development.

The enhancements mean videos, with added visuals and notes, can be quickly and effectively generated to create high-impact learning resources.

“We believe these enhancements will be game-changing for the use of video in high-performance sport”, commented Chris Tuson, from The Sports Office.

“These updates now offer coaches and analysts many new features which will significantly augment their work and mean their players and athletes experience is hugely enriched.”

More details of the updates are as follows:

Video tagging wizard

Users can now tag videos as they view footage in real time, for instant analysis. Easily create tags for highlights and crucial moments. Also, quickly generate metrics including total player involvement. The tagging wizard offers the option to upload multiple tagging files against videos. This allows both staff and players to use third-party data such as OPTA, STATSport, Sportscode. Tags can be seen while viewing footage in real time.

Video tagging report

As video tags are created they become metrics in the system’s analytics engine. This means reports can be generated to provide both holistic and more granular performance summaries.

Video drawing/annotation tool

It is now possible to add text and other visual annotations to pinpoint key moments in videos and gain the most from the analysis process. A toolkit of options makes it easy to add both text and symbols. It is also possible to overlay annotations on LIVE video content for rapid performance analysis.

Video analytics

This is a multi-faceted update. To enhance player/athlete engagement, performance data can be added and visualized alongside video content. Also, precisely measure and analyse video engagement. This allows staff to monitor player’s usage in great detail. This includes the number and duration of video views. Also, analyse trends in video content including total hits.

All these latest video enhancements utilise the power of cloud computing offered by The Sports Office systems. This ensures a smooth and streamlined user experience. The enhancements will also complement the new Player’s App.

This native app integrates with Sports Office performance management systems and third-party social media platforms. It provides a comprehensive range of personalised support and creates a powerful link between club and player.

Further updates to video functionality in Sports Office systems are planned to include the creation of playlists, clipping, dashboard searches and further tagging options. Other features including multiple viewing angles and commentary on uploads are also being developed.

For more information or additional training on these new features, please contact The Sports Office Client Management team.

13th August 2018 /

New release from The Sports Office – The Player’s App

The latest release from The Sports Office, The Player’s App, has been designed to keep players better informed and enhance progression at the club. The App integrates with Sports Office performance management software and social media platforms to provide a comprehensive range of personalised support.

The native Player’s App optimises all communication, sports science and sports medicine modules. Along with coaching and administrative processes between an organisation and its players/athletes.

Phil Clarke, Director from The Sports Office said: “Elite sports organisations will now be able to offer significantly enhanced support to their players with our new native app.

“The app will ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness in critical areas including communication, coaching and administration. It will create a powerful, personalised link between clubs and their squads.”

Phil added: “Our new Player’s App will provide an additional tool for coaches and elite sports practitioners to reach the players they work with and support them to drive improved performance.”

Features:

The video enhancements provide a key area of functionality within the new Player’s App. Staff can assign specific videos to players to maximise engagement, learning and progression. Categorise video footage and create personalised playlists to enhance focused player reflection. Also, download video content to view offline.

The Newsfeed and Dashboard areas provide a real-time update of relevant information directly from the club. Support player output and ensure consistency with club policy and public statements by synching club social media accounts.

The Player’s App also enhances communication between staff and players with secure instant messaging and push notifications. It offers heightened functionality, instinctively detecting a user’s language via personal mobile settings.

The app is compatible with a wide range of 3^rd party sources. This allows the use of sports science and performance analysis data from providers including OPTA and STATSports. Download to all personal devices easily from major app stores and is compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Download the Player’s App PDF, and please contact a member of our Client Management team today to learn more and discuss how The Player’s App can be implemented in your organisation.

2nd August 2018 /