Is GPS Training the Way Forward?


What do you think?
By Andrew Collins
July 12 2010

Sale have followed Leinster down the road of GPS tracking their players during training sessions in order to see how hard they are working, and apparently prevent injuries, but is it the future?

New Sale boss, Mike Brewer, has introduced the new tracking system to Sale claiming the monitors can reduce sort tissue injuries ‘by about 50 or 60 per cent.'

Brewer became aware of the equipment during his time with Leinster, but it seems many of sports top teams are converting, with Manchester United, Real Madrid and the British Lions also bringing the GPS systems.

While for those richer clubs it's an expense worth taking, are the machines justifiable given the cost, which Brewer roughly estimates at ‘about two thirds of the cost of what we would term a squad player'?

Although the machine obviously cannot stop injuries which happen in-game, Brewer deems them worth a squad player, and the question coaches must start asking themselves is; is it better to have a well conditioned squad or a valuable extra man?

For more information on the product, you can visit the company's web site, http://www.gpssports.com/.

Is GPS Training the Way Forward?
Posted by: theArmsPark.co.uk (IP Logged)
Date: 12/07/2010 11:15

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
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Re: Is GPS Training the Way Forward?
Posted by: ATTR (IP Logged)
Date: 12/07/2010 13:16

GPS might have helped track Mongo in his buggy!

Re: Is GPS Training the Way Forward?
Posted by: Selgwent (IP Logged)
Date: 12/07/2010 20:44

Could have used a box brownie when we had Derwyn Jones in the team.

Re: Is GPS Training the Way Forward?
Posted by: bluebadger (IP Logged)
Date: 12/07/2010 22:14

I think it's an invasion of privacy.
How can anyone nip off for a ciggie or pop to the bog with The Sun to check the racing page without being spotted now?

Re: Is GPS Training the Way Forward?
Posted by: Dim Cais (IP Logged)
Date: 13/07/2010 00:17

Quote:
Selgwent
Could have used a box brownie when we had Derwyn Jones in the team.

A box brownie?? A sketch artist would have sufficed.
Derwyn looked at rucks and mauls as something to lean against whilst having a fag.

Re: Is GPS Training the Way Forward?
Posted by: ATTR (IP Logged)
Date: 13/07/2010 10:34

In fairness to Derwyn. he did the job that he was selected to do. Not the player for today's game but a man of his time. He was enough of a threat to to Bok for them to cynically take him out in a test match. They don't waste their thuggery on anybody you know!

Re: Is GPS Training the Way Forward?
Posted by: ATTR (IP Logged)
Date: 13/07/2010 10:36

Back on to GPS in training. It's a pity Mark Jones didn't have GPS when playing for Wales. He might just have scored a try or two if he had found the directions to the try line.

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