Technology, automation and the increasing role of artificial intelligence
By the end of this section, participants will have an understanding of how the performance analysis landscape is changing, how the role of the performance analyst will evolve, and some of the new technologies entering the market.
Technology is changing all the time and more and more data is becoming available, from third party coding of matches to GPS units and instrumented balls and mouthguards. The performance analyst must be aware of these sources of potential information and how they may help or hinder with their core role, feeding back on performance to improve performance.
As the role of the performance analyst evolves, there is a spectrum of expertise ranging from data science on one end, through to coaching on the other. A core element of the role is understanding the different technologies and datasets available and being able to translate that information into meaningful insights for the team and coach.
By upskilling in new tools and technologies, the performance analyst may find that they can review a far greater volume of data in a shorter period by creating automated workflows in business intelligence tools, or utilising new camera technologies which track the ball and add elements of code to the footage.
Additional benefits may include:
- Reports being automated and created in a fraction of the time
- Bespoke reports being created for and accessible to coaches and players on their phone or tablet
- Investigation of larger datasets to understand trends in the game
- Additional time to undertake new projects
- Utilising AI tools to ask new questions of existing data.
The core role of the performance analyst will always be reviewing performance to improve performance, but the tools and methods to do this will continue to evolve and it is up to the performance analyst to continue evolving alongside the technology.
For additional training resources around software and coding, please contact your home union or software provider, or reach out to World Rugby for further guidance: [email protected]