Rugby in the Information Age
by Ben Darwin | 06 July 2009 (10:45)
Technology is having an interesting effect on the game of rugby in an unusual manner. Take for example the country I currently coach in – Japan. While it is smack, bang in the middle of the rugby world, due to differences in language and culture, the country has always been a little slow on the uptake of new information pertaining to the game.
Yet this is changing very quickly. During one recent training session, I tried to be a little sneaky by bringing in a peel play that had been used by the All Blacks the previous week. It had scored a try for Tony Woodcock. As we attempted it in training I asked the boys what we should call the play. “Woodo, after Tony Woodcock,” came the quick reply from our tight head prop. “After all he is the one that scored using the play last week.” I wondered how this prop suddenly became a fountain of knowledge.
Not only do the boys see the games on TV every week, they then look up the highlights on YouTube or sporting websites. We can look up scrummaging drills by Mike Cron, see the latest backline moves in the Heineken Cup or watch every lineout to look for cues in the NPC. While the lag is there, it is dropping radically.
10 years ago bringing new techniques to a competition such as the Japanese Top League would be something of a revelation. Now there are many instances when you feel as though there is nothing to teach the players that they have not already seen.
The flow of information has opened up dramatically and the standards of play in the lower levels of rugby seem to benefit enormously. As well as this, so many top-level coaches roam the world on a weekly basis. In fact, in a couple of weeks Eddie Jones and Jake White will speak here in Tokyo.
Websites on coaching offering the latest tactics and drills are increasing in number and it doesn’t seem to matter that access is often at cost – it is still available all the same.
Recently, I heard a coaching director who had been travelling between international clubs say that “pretty much everyone is doing the same stuff. There are little differences here and there but it all looks the same.”
What is the difference then? The difference is what the teams are focusing on. For example, Deans concentrates heavily on the tackle contest. Others push for recruitment. Time together, as we discussed last week, is another aspect that gets a lot of attention and, the most important of all, culture – that is, keeping everyone motivated and on the same page. Just look at the Bulls and the Crusaders. 2 teams that have the right type of culture and it doesn’t it show!
While the speed and conduct in which information can be passed on is increasing, there are some things that cannot be replicated, such as how Giteau knows when to pass, kick or step. This ability – the ability to understand an opposition and when to use a skill - cannot be taught via any replays, highlights or websites.
There is though a counter force in the development of such technology, applying pressure to countries whose wealth is not so high. Richer countries that are able to afford the high level equipment are forging ahead of those who can’t. The wealthier nations will begin to catch the traditional powerhouses that may not have the readily available funds. This is why the strength of a country’s sporting team often reflects their economic success.
The gap also widens between levels of rugby within countries like Australia where Super 14 teams are supported by TV rights, and those in club land, who want to develop players, can barely afford jerseys. When players return from Super 14 to club football asking for feedback and video analysis, they are not able to have their level of understanding matched.
With these new innovations in the sharing of technology, there is the notion of singularity, where we all share the same information at the same time. How will a game based upon tactical innovation survive this? Let’s hope the culture of rugby isn’t lost.
