NZR sign three-year partnership with VX Sport

Apr 26 • General News • 1173 Views • Comments Off on NZR sign three-year partnership with VX Sport

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) today formalised its long-standing and successful partnership with one of New Zealand’s most innovative technology companies VX Sport.

VX Sport, who specialise in collecting athletes’ physical data via wearable devices, will be the official supplier for all NZR national teams including the All Blacks and Black Ferns through to 2020.

NZR Head of High Performance Mike Anthony said VX Sport had built a strong reputation in New Zealand rugby since first working with the All Blacks in 2009.

“We’re thrilled to be able to lock-in a commercial partnership that will provide our national teams with a vital tool to maintain their edge at the highest levels of the game.

“VX Sport’s technology is trusted and proven over a long period of time and is a crucial tool in providing feedback on athletes’ volume and intensity of training. VX Sport’s system provides raw data including heartrate, speed, and distance, which allows strength and conditioning staff and coaches to make better informed decisions around player workloads throughout a season.”

In a highly competitive global market, Anthony said VX Sport were world leaders in their field and were the obvious choice for the All Blacks, Black Ferns, All Blacks Sevens, Black Ferns Sevens, Maori All Blacks and New Zealand U20.

Recent innovations included trainers and coaches being able to monitor a player’s physical data in real time via their phone during trainings and games.

VX Sport co-founder and Sport Performance Director Jamie Tout said he was excited about the opportunity to work even more closely with NZR’s national teams.

“We are pleased that NZR has chosen to partner with VX Sport in what was a very competitive process. We have built up a great relationship with New Zealand Rugby and are proud of the fact they trust us to service all their national teams from the All Blacks to the New Zealand U20.”

The partnership would allow VX Sport to expand its involvement across NZR’s national teams and into different levels of NZR’s High Performance system.

“Women’s rugby is an obvious growth area and being able to work with the Black Ferns and Black Ferns Sevens recently has been immensely satisfying, particularly watching their success at the Women’s Rugby World Cup and Commonwealth Games.”

VX Sport’s wearable technology is accessible to elite, semi-professional and amateur sports teams.

“VX Sport provides wearable devices to a number of Investec Super Rugby, Provincial Union and secondary school teams. This means we’re fast approaching a time when a player’s welfare and performance can be actively managed as they progress their rugby career,” Tout said.