Leading rugby brand, Canterbury, has today announced that it is bringing elite-level GPS technology to grassroots players, in a new collaboration with tracking specialists PlayerData.
The brand partnership, which is the first of its kind in the sport, is seen as a significant step towards making sure all players are at the heart of decision-making when it comes to their performance.
PlayerData’s tracking units are being sold alongside a specially designed vest. The vests and the units are on sale for a £45 up front cost and then a monthly subscription of between £6 and £9, billed annually. There are discounts for whole teams which is the most likely route for clubs to adopt.
We are currently enquiring as to what the cost will be in Euro in the Republic of Ireland, and whether there will be just a one siz approach to the vest.
The technology and units are World Rugby-approved and enable coaches and players to monitor core metrics, make comparisons and identify trends that improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.
Supporting the wearable tracker is a dedicated mobile app that offers easy access to data on speed, distance and intensity; vital tools for all athletes looking to improve their game. 
“When you start making this level of tech accessible, it can only progress the sport,” said Canterbury Vice President Jack Richardson.
“Our partnership with PlayerData offers grassroots teams the very best in performance innovation, so anyone can access data to play at the top of their game.” 
“We’ll be using it as a chance to spend more time with clubs and players, learning from them to help us develop a rugby-first product that players want. We’re already making plans for this year and beyond, looking at how we take Canterbury and PlayerData on the road to drive greater engagement, energy and participation within rugby as a whole.”
“This partnership means we can show players and teams at grassroots levels what they are missing,” added Roy Hotrabhvanon, CEO of PlayerData.
“The tech they never thought was for them can now become a staple. With Canterbury’s help, we plan to revolutionise the playing field for each and every one of them and then look ahead to how we can harness the power of that data for the player. It’s all about giving these athletes ownership of their data and using it to enhance sporting communities.”    
PlayerData has a strong existing client roster, working with over 10,000 athletes and 550 teams globally, including the Samoa national rugby union team. Canterbury will drive scale for the partnership through its network of over 3,000 teams, helping more grassroots players access the elite GPS technology. 
The Canterbury X PlayerData vests will be available to buy from canterbury.com and playerdata.com from Tuesday 10th January. The EDGE for Teams kit costs £8 per player per month with a one-off cost of £18 for the vest. 
Sport for Business Perspective:
Irish company StatSports has made a major play over the past two years to make their technology available to individuals and grassroots teams. It is bringing the best of what is developed for the elite down to every level of the sport, in much the same way as has happened in other areas from kit to footwear. It will be a scary thought for many players and coaches and not for all in the initial stage but over time it will become the norm fo teams at a much wider level than is currently the case.,
