Webdna app features in national press

It’s been a busy few weeks here as we launched an additional module to Vodafone’s pioneering PLAYER.Connect app, a product developed for Vodafone and the Welsh Rugby Union with Sport Science Agency.

The response to this has been phenomenal with the story picked up across the media. Jo Perkins, Welsh Rugby women’s squad head physio featured on Radio 4’s Woman's Hour, ITV ran a segment and there was a great write-up by The Telegraph’s Fiona Thomas. As well as this, players Alex Callender, Lisa Neumann, Donna Rose, Hanna Jones, Sisilia Tuipulotu and Abbie Fleming were each interviewed for April’s Women’s Health with some of them speaking about the impact the app has had on them as individuals. 

Recording concussion data is nothing new for rugby union which follows the HIA protocol. Here a player will undergo three assessments following a concussion; immediately after impact, a few hours later and then 24-48 hrs later. Following this, symptoms will be monitored and return to play will be dependent on recovery. 

Traditionally, results may have been recorded on paper or via a pre-existing rugby union concussion app. All well and good; but neither of these methods allows the coaching teams to easily compare the data gathered with any other useful information about that particular player. 

With the launch of the PLAYER.Connect concussion module, this injury can be viewed alongside the other data we’re collecting: 

For the first time outside of research we’ve been able to get holistic data that looks at concussion recovery alongside the general wellbeing of the player. This includes being able to see how the menstrual cycle affects their recovery and symptomatology. It’s a major step forward in ensuring the wellbeing of the players.

A good example of the impact this data can have is when a player is returning to contact. Here staff might see an increase in symptoms reported, for example, fatigue or low energy. When viewed in isolation, these results may be considered a step backwards. But when overlaid with other data, such as mood, sleep, menstrual cycle etc. we can see a different story. The fatigue might be because a player is consistently experiencing poor sleep at a fixed point in their cycle and this has coincided with their recovery period. Having all of the data in front of you allows you to build a fuller picture and take the best approach to recovery for that player. 

The takeaway is that some of the symptoms that we have traditionally tracked and assumed to be concussion, may not actually be a result of this. By combining the concussion tracking with the player monitoring system, we’re able to say, what is normal for this player, what could be cycle-related, and what could be concussion-related.

As the developers behind the app, it brings us a huge amount of pride to see the impact our work has had sharing space alongside topics as important as the women's game turning professional and individual personal achievements. If you’d like to know more about the process behind Vodafone’s PLAYER.Connect, have a read of our case study Providing insight from huge data sets using Craft or to discuss your own project, get in touch with our team.