Saracens, Leicester, Bath and Gloucester are among those using the equipment to record training times, patterns and heart rates of players. A set to monitor one player costs £2-3,000 and highlights the investment clubs are prepared to make in off-field training methods in a bid to gain that winning edge.
This minute analysis of all things a player does is one of the big developments since the game went professional 15 years ago. No longer are players left to their own devices. "Controlling the controllable," is the expression favoured by Andrew Shelton, one of an army of backroom staff currently employed by champions Leicester.
The strength and conditioning coach, who studied at Loughborough University, is impressed by the Leicester players’ determination to stay in good shape throughout the year.
Long gone are the days they would return for pre-season training having ballooned in weight. "We do tell them to really enjoy themselves when they are off, but I’ve noticed each season the guys come back in better nick. None of them goes too mental nowadays."
Training ideas continue to change. Kingsley Jones, Sale’s new director of rugby, has told his new conditioning man, New Zealander Peter Finch, to concentrate on rugby skills rather than become totally immersed in weight training and muscle building.
Jones is a believer in training for rugby rather than trying to build a team of "gym monkeys".
He contends that the present New Zealand under-20s world champions are a good deal smaller than their rivals, yet 30 points better. He also maintains there has been an over-emphasis on size and muscle in recent years. "We’ve got to a stage where some young rugby players think ‘extras’ mean bench presses or curls, not kicking or passing a ball. I think things will change back to concentrate on rugby and the skills a player needs."
Science extends into every area of training and preparation for the modern player. For example, Gatorade are looking to assist Guinness Premiership clubs with a state-of-the-art analytical process to help with hydration. The Gatorade Sports Science Institute has found that by taking samples of players’ sweat, it is possible to produce a unique analysis for each player and to create bespoke hydration programmes to increase performance levels.
Other traditional aspects of a professional team’s schedule are also under attack, like the captain’s run on the day prior to a match. Leicester are sticking to the light training session, but Saracens have decided to abandon the get-together in favour of a further day off.
Under the guidance of new coach Brendan Venter, former Springbok centre, Saracens are set to have two days off a week rather than one this season in an effort to keep players fit and mentally sharp. Scott Murphy, Saracens’ strength and conditioning coach, acknowledges the change in traditional thought. He explains: "Brendan knows exactly what he wants to do. You don’t want to be a follower the whole time – if you are going to improve then you have to try new ideas."
But Murphy is backed up by Shelton in agreeing that GPRS systems are essential equipment for clubs. Players wear a device during training that records their every movement and heart rate.
Says Murphy: "You have to replicate the conditions when the players felt good and returned good figures. So if you don’t collect data then it is very hard to replicate what you did with any accuracy. We collect data on how far they run at each training session. We look at heart-rate data to see whether we need to improve them," he says.
"We can look at how a player has trained all week and to see whether he needs a top up of high-intensity work; we can control the work rate of any particular player. You need to have a handle on what each player is doing. In this day and age there is a much more scientific approach."
