Vodafone has launched Player.Connect, a performance dashboard that is being used by the British & Irish Lions rugby team throughout its 2021 tour to South Africa.

Using IoT technology, Player.Connect collates data from players’ existing wearable devices into one aggregated dashboard, in real time. It makes player data easier to view and analyse, allowing coaches to make informed performance decisions and improve player welfare on and off the pitch.

This includes round-the-clock monitoring of players’ physical and mental wellbeing, so action can be taken to optimise physical recovery and better prepare for the next match. It also means live adjustments can be made both in the game and during training.

The dashboard combines short term acute GPS, heart rate and impact data, which are delivered live, with additional chronic data on off-pitch recovery and physical and mental wellbeing, which is transferred before and after each session.

These data help provide a holistic view of the wellbeing of both the team and the individual athletes, including Vodafone player ambassadors Maro Itoje, Stuart Hogg, Hamish Watson, Tadhg Furlong and Louis Rees-Zammit.

“The Vodafone Player.Connect platform is a huge breakthrough in performance monitoring,” said Paul Stridgeon, Lions head of strength and conditioning. “Vodafone’s innovation is supporting our aim to achieve consistently high levels of performance. The dashboard lets us maximise the output of our current monitoring, and is helping us provide detailed analysis of all wellness, training and match data throughout the 2021 tour. We are already starting to see the benefits, and are confident that using this platform will support our ambition to beat the Springboks.”

The platform solves several long-standing problems in sport performance analysis. At the moment, data are transmitted via Bluetooth from each individual wearable separately, after the event, and must be collated manually by an analyst. Across a whole squad, this means the full data set may not be available until two days later, and is difficult to analyse in context, placing significant limitations on how player data can be evaluated and the speed at which they are acted upon.

“We are thrilled to be launching Player.Connect for the Lions, and excited to see it put to the test on the 2021 tour,” said Max Taylor, Vodafone consumer director. “This is the perfect example of how our commitment to innovation can make a real difference, on the biggest stage, under the most pressure. This platform can help any elite team, in any sport, and we’re excited to see the Lions put it through its paces and show what a difference it can make at the very highest level.”

The British & Irish Lions began using Player.Connect during their training camp in Jersey, in preparation for the Vodafone 1888 Cup match against Japan. They are the first elite team to use the platform in a competitive fixture, and will continue to use Player.Connect throughout the 2021 tour, including in all three test matches against South Africa.

Player.Connect can be used effectively across any elite sport, both team and individual. Following the Lions Tour, Vodafone will be carrying out a review into future commercial rollout of the dashboard across other elite teams and athletes.

The dashboard uses IoT technology to aggregate data from multiple existing player wearables in real time, allowing them to be viewed, analysed and acted upon instantly, from anywhere in the world.

It was produced by the Vodafone IoT.nxt team, with the support of performance consultants who advised on the sport science requirements. The British & Irish Lions will be the first elite team to use Player.Connect, and Vodafone has collaborated closely with the Lions performance team to ensure the dashboard meets all their requirements for the 2021 tour, of which Vodafone is lead partner.

It provides the ability to view and compare all data for any given individual across the team, allowing for fully contextualised decisions that consider everything from physical fitness and performance on the pitch to nutrition, sleep and recovery off it. For example, a team-wide drop-off in training performance could indicate an issue with adapting to altitude, rather than individual shortcomings.

The dashboard can track performance and welfare across multiple days, weeks and months, allowing optimisation of workload and preparation. For example, a player could already be nearing their target for impacts in training by midweek, meaning they need to taper off in future sessions ensuring they’re in the best possible condition for the next fixture.

Live adjustments can be made, both in-game and during training, allowing coaching staff to pre-empt potential injury risks in training and make instant performance decisions on a matchday. For example, coaches can spot when a player has hit their physical limit and can adapt accordingly.

Player welfare can be monitored round the clock, on and off the pitch, allowing for better support of both mental and physical wellbeing. For example, a change in a player’s eating or sleeping habits is often an indicator of a shift in their mental health, allowing coaches to provide support.

Performance staff can analyse player data from anywhere in the world, instantly, providing greater flexibility on staff numbers. For example, a touring team with limited spaces for analysts – especially post-Covid – could have a fully staffed remote performance hub in the UK.