Ospreys new Title Partner PROTECHT is revealed by Gareth Anscombe in Ospreys kit for the first time.
Performance through player welfare is what we at Ospreys consistently aspire to achieve, and who better to partner with than PROTECHT, a real time head impact monitoring system for improving the performance of teams through enhancing player welfare and safety in contact sports. The OPRO+ mouth guard which has the cutting-edge technology embedded within it, is the most progressive, innovative and relevant brand of its kind in the world.
All initial research is based on Elite Rugby Union and underpinned by a longitudinal research project at Swansea University. Built by Sports & Wellbeing Analytics (SWA), the PROTECHT system aims to support team performance by presenting an additional data source to coaches, providing objective data on head impacts from which training can be tailored to best prepare for competition. The system’s fundamental aim is to help make the game safer.
The PROTECHT system has been developed by Sports & Wellbeing Analytics in collaboration with many of the Ospreys commercial partner family such as Swansea University, Philtronics and Keytree.
Their logo will feature on the front of both the home and away senior shirt, plus trainingwear as demonstrated by Gareth Anscombe, pictured in Ospreys kit for the first time. PROTECHT will join our official apparel partner, Canterbury, in the new Ospreys jersey launch coming soon, further demonstrating the commercial strength at Ospreys Rugby.
Adam Palfrey, Head of Commercial, Ospreys Rugby, commented:
“This is an extremely exciting new partnership for us and allows the Ospreys to be alongside one of the most progressive player welfare technology companies in the world.
“The partnership is about a lot more than being just a name on the front of a shirt, the innovative system borne through collaboration with other Osprey partners will not only impact player welfare globally but provide a multitude of benefits and high performance tools to our team performance.
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome PROTECHT and having witnessed the product impact our performance in real time, it is something I’m really looking forward to.
Sports & Wellbeing Analytics Chief Executive Officer Chris Turner remarked on the partnership:
“The development of the PROTECHT system has ultimately been focused on one key priority; making the game safer for the players. The system allows objective surveillance so that unseen head impacts are recognised and understood, and this data provides a new layer of information on which rugby management can base their judgements.
“As we begin to roll the system out across the pro game, we felt it important to acknowledge the support that the Ospreys have given us by returning that support by becoming their Title Partner”
Richard Lancaster, Head of Business Development and Marketing at SWA, added:
“The Ospreys have worked with us in developing a state of the art head impact monitoring system. Through sensors embedded in the OPRO+ mouthguard, the system can feedback to rugby management pitch side in real time on the contact loadings of the team.
"Whilst the primary focus of the system is indeed player wellbeing, the system also has real performance benefits that can be utilised by coaches to ensure their team are enjoying the best preparation possible.
"Sensor technology is already established in rugby with running load monitored by GPS and the PROTECHT system can provide real data on another valuable source of information. It allows coaches to modify and adapt training, drills and tactics to ensure they are effective and help to make sure that players are not only fresh, but better prepared for matches."