Case Study

As the iconic sports movie Moneyball demonstrated, winning at the highest levels of sports depends on talent, strategy, tactics – and evidence-based insights from data analytics. When the Japan Rugby Football Union sought to take a data-driven approach to the game for the nation’s team, it looked to the Reportabl.Sports data platform. The game analytics Data Platform and Reporting solution delivers of everything from practically instant play-by-play analysis to historical insights and gives the Brave Blossoms, their coaches and management, unique insights into how the game is played – and where team members can press for advantage.

Established in 1926, the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) that country’s national governing body of rugby and organises matches for the Japan national team. The JRFU is currently one of only two federations from outside the Six Nations and The Rugby Championship with a seat on the executive council of World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. Affectionately known as the Brave Blossoms, the Japan Men's National Rugby Team represents the country playing international games both at home and abroad.

Situation

As popularly demonstrated in Moneyball, data insights and statistical analysis can mean the difference between winning or losing at the highest levels of sporting competition. In modern rugby, data analysis is fundamental to effective team management, providing analysts, coaches and players with insights to play a better game. This includes insights into fitness monitoring, injury anticipation and prevention, tracking player positions, and play-by-play analysis determining potential tactical and strategic options.

OPTA data from Stats Perform being major commercial source, providing access to an extensive range of feeds offered at various detail levels. The data includes information ranging from the basic - such as scheduled fixtures – to live in-game events, detailed historical data, and season-to-date cumulative statistics.

Data, however, isn’t particularly useful. Rather, information is, as JRFU Performance Analyst explains. “We have access to vast quantities of data sourced from Stats Perform, but we lacked the capacity to effectively process and interpret it or generate reports to address questions posed by our coaching team.”

A further complication was manual processing of large data volumes from the daily multitude of games played globally. Team analysts wanted the data available and in Microsoft’s Power BI for immediate analysis so they could adjust and respond without delay.

The JRFU Performance Analyst knew where to find the help required, having encountered Reportabl. through a previous association with another leading sporting team. “I knew they were an exceptional company to work with. And their passion and enthusiasm for delivering exceptional services to Japan Rugby were clear to see, playing a significant factor in my decision to collaborate with Reportabl. on this project.”

Results

With the implementation of the Reportabl. Data Platform, JRFU has brought immediacy to its data use. With the system automatically ingesting and processing game data feeds, information is made available to coaches and management without delay, supporting smarter decisions as the Brave Blossoms seek glory on the rugby field.

“The automated data feed gives me my Power BI reports as soon as it is available from Opta. This means we analyse our performance and provide feedback to the coaches and team, allowing us to find areas which may require improvement prior to our next game. It also allows us to analyse opposition teams or players at any stage, assisting in our preparation for our upcoming International games.”

He says the combination of sporting insights and technology knowledge sets Reportabl. apart as a specialist in the field – so to speak. “Reportabl. provides industry specialists who possess the expertise to effectively handle the extensive volume of data collected within the sporting industry. They excel in transforming this data into user-friendly, yet highly insightful dashboards. Their services enable efficient data management and empower users to gain valuable insights from the information at hand,” he explains.

It is, a unique combination. “I haven’t come across another company which has had the knowledge and experience of working with sporting data to find the best solution for our Team. As a result, Japan Rugby will continue to use Reportabl. to provide data feeds and improve dashboards, as well as providing education to the Japanese Performance Analysts when required.”

Stats Perform - OPTA

Stats Perform, a sports data provider, delivers an extensive range of feeds, which are offered at different detail levels, such as scheduled fixtures, live in-game events, detailed historical data, and season-to-date cumulative stats.