Harlequins is the latest in a long line of premier rugby union clubs to join forces with Kitman Labs, the award-winning sports science technology company.
Quins, who under the guidance of their new Head of Rugby Paul Gustard, are looking to improve on last year’s performances and win the 2018/19 title. Not only will their new campaign benefit from the leadership of Gustard, Quins will also be supported by Kitman Labs’ ground-breaking Athlete Optimization System™ used by sports teams worldwide to understand and manage the influences of both injury risk and on-field performance.
Head of Sports Science, Tom Batchelor of Harlequins, praised the new collaboration:
“We collect a lot of data from our athletes, which prior to Kitman Labs was challenging to compact in a short amount of time to make accurate decisions. Now with Kitman Labs, we will be able to analyse data in a timely manner so we can make smarter decisions about our athletes,” said Batchelor.
Through the collaboration, Harlequins’ game, training and injury data will be collected and processed in real-time via a mobile app and digital dashboard. The system will also help to support communication between different departments, from the medical and performance staff to the coaches and analysts; all personnel now have a shared view of an individual athlete’s health and performance.
Stephen Smith, Founder and CEO of Kitman Labs, said:
“The team at Harlequins Rugby are known for their innovation and expertise, so it is very exciting for us to collaborate with them this season and support their campaign using insights that we can deliver from their data.”
Harlequins, join several other iconic rugby union outfits in the Kitman Labs family of clients including premiership rivals Saracens, Bath, Gloucester, Worcester Warriors and Bristol Bears, as well as Heineken Champions Cup holders Leinster and fellow Guinness Pro 14 sides Connacht, Munster and Ulster. The company, which has offices in Dublin, Republic of Ireland and Silicon Valley, California, also helped Ireland record a memorable Grand Slam in this year’s Six Nations.
ABOUT KITMAN LABS
At Kitman Labs, we’re committed to the evolution of performance. Through advanced statistical analysis, rigorous scientific research and unparalleled industry experience, our system evaluates athletic injury with unprecedented precision and embodies the cutting edge of injury risk prevention technology.
Kitman Labs works with over 150 teams worldwide, with its systems available in 30 different languages. SARU, Hurricanes, Union Bordeaux Begles, Cell C Sharks, Toyota Verblitz are among the company’s other rugby union clients. We also have partnerships with elite clubs in major sports worldwide, including Chelsea, Everton, Celtic, Rangers, UFC, National Rugby League (Australia), Buffalo Bills and New York Yankees.
Our experienced team of sports scientists understands the nuances of each sport we work with and respects the uniqueness of every team and every athlete. Our system has been designed to determine the individual needs of each user and was developed to excel in the data-driven world of elite sports. We’re committed to harnessing data enabling our users to find the true sources of injury – and to intervene before injuries ever occur.
Kitman Labs’ Athlete Optimisation System recently won the inaugural Performance Technology of the Year prize at the prestigious BT Sport Industry Awards 2018. The System is proving increasingly popular within elite sport because, for the first time ever, individual athletes’ data is processed in one place.
This enables coaches and sports science staff to interpret all individual data via real-time, intelligent alerts to help them understand athletes with unprecedented precision, make informed decisions and gain a competitive edge.
ABOUT HARLEQUINS
Harlequins is one of the oldest and most famous rugby clubs in the world. Founded in 1866, the Club has, throughout its vibrant history, been a proud innovator in the game both nationally and globally.
The Club is a founder member of the RFU and is as famous for its quartered shirt, as for its expansive style of play.
A truly local and global rugby club, Harlequins has over 230 community clubs and schools affiliated locally to The Stoop, our home of over 50 years in south-west London, as well as a further eight across the world (Dallas, Pretoria, Kenya, Abu Dhabi, Future Hope Kolkata, Melbourne, Hobart and New Zealand).
On a playing front Harlequins has developed one of the most successful Academies in the Premiership and on the national stage we have the most England Qualified Players in the English Premiership League.