The Rugby Innovation Summit 2016 has been carefully designed to optimise performance and reduce injury and is applicable across elite, community, schools, academy and junior levels of the game.

Our objectives are to increase involvement, lengthen careers and maximise performance through coaching strategies, performance testing, medical training, new technology and data analytics.

The summit is split into a variety of streams and will provide a variety of immediate and long-term takeaways, applicable and specific across all levels of the game.

Why Now?

Performance, Injury Prevention & Accessibility are intrinsically linked. The relationship has grown closer over the last decade, catalysed by the increased amounts of money present at elite and academy levels of the game.

As athletes become bigger, stronger, faster and more powerful the collisions are invariably greater and the chance of injury higher. This becomes problematic across all levels of the game, from elite to grass roots.

Sport and technology are evolving and merging at an unprecedented rate. It is essential to harness all available research and expertise to ensure rugby stays ahead of the pack, and becomes a leader and benchmark for other sports.

As part of the Rugby World Cup legacy it is absolutely critical to have our safety heads on and ensure we uphold the reputation of rugby union and invite as many new people to the game as possible, whilst ensuring we retain as many current players as possible.