Frazer-Nash, the engineering consultancy, has been supporting Scottish Rugby by working with its Performance Analysis Team (PAT) to improve their software capability.

The Performance Analysis Team is contracted to gather, interpret and analyse large amounts of performance data and statistics from each game; providing invaluable information for the coaching staff and players. Frazer-Nash helped to develop novel methods for enhancing the software used to analyse the statistics on each player.

Frazer-Nash’s engineering team spent time with the Analysis Team at Murrayfield and Frazer-Nash’s office in Glasgow creating a processing system that extracts the required data quickly, presenting it in sophisticated tables and graphs that can be easily interpreted by the coaching staff.

The team also developed a bespoke programme that transfers the data into a spreadsheet and checks for errors and omissions, greatly increasing the accuracy of the information being held. The new import routine is very simple to use compared to the previous method which involved manual manipulation to arrange the data correctly.

Julian Duncan, Senior Engineer at Frazer-Nash, commented: “The decision by Scottish Rugby to recruit Frazer-Nash in providing performance management expertise underlines our strong credentials within the sporting arena. We have developed software which will revolutionise the process of analysing performance data, making the process faster and more efficient.

“It was great to work so closely with the PAT to ensure Scottish Rugby has the data and analysis tools it needs to stay ahead of the competition.”

A Scottish Rugby spokesman said: “Our performance analysts provide our national coaching teams with relevant data to enable accurate and inter-disciplinary decision making. Frazer-Nash’s expertise helped us improve our software capabilities, making it easier for us to interpret and analyse the data which is primarily used for selection for international games.”

This project follows Frazer-Nash’s recent contract with the RFU to provide performance analysis services up to 2012. It also follows Frazer-Nash’s successful work as an Innovation Partner to UK Sport, as part of which the consultancy has devised engineering solutions for the benefit of the UK’s best athletes and coaches. Since February 2008, Frazer-Nash has been involved in the development of the ‘Ergometer’ cycling machine and ‘Powerwheel’ instrument for wheelchair athletes.