Decision Inc has supplied a new statistical analysis company called Rugby Analytics with the QlikView data analysis and reporting solution. Rugby Analytics is using the solution to provide a rugby analysis offering.
Rugby Analytics is powered by a global international video analysis company called Dartfish. Dartfish makes the power of video accessible to millions and sets the video standard across industries such as sport, education, and healthcare. Dartfish is trusted globally by thousands of elite sport organisations, federations, and corporations, and leads the world with technology to create, analyse and distribute video content.
From skill analysis and game film breakdown to video casting, Dartfish helps coaches to teach more effectively, and athletes improve faster.
Currently, Dartfish has over 120 000 clients including Olympic federations, professional sports teams, academies, universities and clubs all over the world. The company employs more than 50 people with headquarters in Switzerland and offices in the United States, France, Australia, Japan, Korea, and South Africa.
Rugby Analytics was investigating a rugby statistical analysis market offering but was limited by the reporting capabilities of its existing application. It began looking for a provider who could not only offer a flexible and customisable data visualisation solution, but who also had the consulting capabilities to be able to integrate the software smoothly into the existing processes.
“For us, the big challenge is taking raw, unstructured data and turning it into intelligence. We needed something that could help us take rugby analysis further by giving coaches and players access to the right information and provide them with the scrutiny they need to refine their strategies,” says Kevin Bouwer, director of Rugby Analytics.
Dartfish was referred to the QlikView solution and implementation partner Decision Inc, which quickly demonstrated what the platform is able to accomplish.
Through tagging functionality in Dartfish software, Rugby Analytics was able to create a tagging system to tag ball in play, possession and player KPI’s within 4 to 5 hours by one person.
The tagging process in conjunction with Qlikview allows Rugby Analytics to view each statistic in greater depth. An example would be the Defensive Data matrix where each missed tackle is evaluated by parameters that lead up to the missed tackle.
“This enables us to work out trends that develop before tackles are missed so we can help coaches and players identify the root flaw within a team’s defensive pattern. QlikView is able to look at different aspects of specific data and provide an efficient way for us to analyse it,” says Bouwer.
He says this has seen it provide a significant product differentiator in a market where coaches are mostly looking at one-dimensional statistics, such as Tackle Missed Count, tackle Efficiency etc.
“With QlikView, we are providing true rugby analytics and deep intelligence. There is also significant potential to apply this to other sports such as football, netball and hockey. Two local Premier Soccer League clubs are already running this enhanced offering.”
With the first phase of the implementation competed in earlier in the year, Rugby Analytics has already begun the next phase which is focused on linking video to stats and possible integration of biometric data with performance data. The Rugby Analytics model will consist of over 25 reports all providing coaches with information to improve a team’s performance.
QlikView will also provide it with the analysis to provide individual player reports and other advanced insights into rugby matches.
“Sporting teams have the same amount of data as any business but they are far behind international trends in how to use this data effectively. QlikView is enabling us to take performance analysis to a new level in the sporting world.”
He says coaches can now look at specific stats that are relevant to their requirements, and use the data to drive performance improvement.
“This implementation underscores the flexibility QlikView offers to meet the diverse needs of companies across a variety of industries. We are excited about the opportunities that QlikView has opened in the sports industry and are looking at strengthening our relationship with Rugby Analytics,” adds Nick Bell, CEO of Decision Inc.
