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The Elite Rugby Director, Rob Andrew MBE has announced that a four year deal has been agreed between the Rugby Football Union and sports performance specialists PGIR Limited.

The company, run by former England and Bath forward John Hall, has been operating since 2004 and they will be responsible for all the performance analysis, analysis research and development, data management and team support for data input for the England senior team and all England representative teams until 2012.

Elite Rugby Director Rob Andrew MBE said today “John Hall has put together an excellent team of analysts who will be based at their offices in Corsham, near Bath and at Rugby House. They will analyse all of England’s matches at every level and games including all our opponents for forthcoming matches.

“PGIR have broadened the concept of data and analysis management and are leaders in their field. Going forward it was essential that we provided a service for all our teams going forward in one package and they will prove to be an invaluable asset for all our coaching staff and players.”

“In addition to their match analysis work they will also profile every England senior and Saxons player’s performance during Guinness Premiership and European matches.”

Three members of the PGIR staff were co-authors of a peer-reviewed research paper into injuries sustained during the tackle that was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

PGIR’s senior management team consists of the following people;

JOHN HALL

A former England Rugby international and successfully captained Bath Rugby to two successive cup wins and a league championship during the 1993/1994 seasons. He later became Director of Rugby and became the youngest

In that position to achieve the league and cup double at Bath from 1996 to 1998 and had a successful stint coaching in Ireland working with Munster and Garryowen before returning to Bath Rugby for a further two-years.

Since 1997 John has been working on analysis within sport and has provided analysis services for a number of sports organisations.

Since 2004 PGIR LTD has been working with the Elite department of the Rugby Football Union at all levels from the U16s to the senior national team.

TONY ASHTON

Tony has worked in rugby analysis for the past six years. He started in 2002 and undertook consultancy work as a Biomechanical Analyst which embraced not only rugby analysis but also other sports, including golf.

Tony moved to Bath Rugby as a Video Analyst in 2003, working primarily with the first team before taking on another job as the Media Assistant to the club for the next eighteen months before joining PGIR Limited. Tony’s present role embraces a variety of video analysis work from U18, U20 and Sevens, through to the elite coaching and senior National Team. His experience now covers three World Championships, two full seasons of the IRB Sevens Series including live tournament analysis, and analysis of coaches at Levels 4 and 5.

BECKY CANCEA

Becky’s career started as a Development Officer for Thames Valley University Rugby 1st XV (1996 – 2000). Keen to widen her knowledge, Becky took on several roles with the Rugby Football Union for Women, (Assistant Manager at the Women’s Rugby World Cup

Final 2002, Manager at the Hong Kong Sevens 2003, Performance Analyst (part time), England Academy Squad 2004 and Sports Psychologist for England Students Squad 2004). All of these additional roles were conducted during her term as England Administrator for the RFUW (2000 – 2004).

Becky left the RFUW in 2004 and joined PGIR as a Performance Analyst for the Rugby Football Union, England National Academy and her work while with PGIR Limited has created a wealth of analysis knowledge covering England U21s Team Analyst (2yrs): U21 World Championships (2005 & 2006); U21 6 Nations 2005 & 2006 Grand Slam Champions; England National Academy; England Sevens and England U18. Becky has a BSc (HONS) Sports Science & Computer Science degree (1996) and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Sports Science (2006).

MICHAEL HUGHES

After the 2004 Athens Olympics, Michael was appointed as the Head of delivery of Performance Analysis to British Cycling (BC). It was his remit to create and put into operation a Performance Analysis program for British Cycling up to and including the Beijing Olympics in August 2008 where the team achieved huge success. This was a first for the sport. The process involved the design and implementation of analysis templates and protocols across 14 different events in conjunction with the various coaches in the system.

Within this role he has been responsible for managing the work programme of three other analysts and bio mechanists and negotiating and delivering the Service Level Agreement plan established between the English Institute of Sport and British Cycling.

The structure of the Performance Analysis set-up within British Cycling has led to Michael working alongside and providing data and video for other sport science practitioners, such as physiologists, strength and conditioning coaches and physiotherapists, as well as the coaches in what is widely regarded as a model of best practice for integrated elite athlete support.

This was all implemented in time for the preparation phase for Beijing 2008. In his four years in this role Michael was privileged to provide support at 10 World Championships, 14 World Cup Events and the 2006 Commonwealth Games during which the team have won 24 World titles and 5 Commonwealth gold medals.

(Source: RFU)