All Blacks players are now issued with a Harrier, technically known as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), which doubles as an all-in-one mobile phone and personal pocket computer.

It's just one of a series of ways that the All Blacks have gone high-tech to try and get an advantage on and off the field.

Each Harrier is equipped with a calendar application All Blacks Team Manager Darren Shand asked Telecom to develop so he could win the paper war.

"In the past I had to print off multiple copies of the daily schedule for everyone in the team and then distribute them by hand.

"The beauty of this new calendar application is that it removes the need for paper and also means any last minute changes in schedules, or other information, can be transmitted directly to the players virtually anywhere and anytime," he said.

Shand simply enters any schedule updates into his Harrier and the calendar application then regularly pushes the updates out to each player via their Harrier. The new system also includes the added feature of digital imagery. By example, this means that when a player checks their schedule first thing each morning, they may see an image of team clothing they require for a specific event that day.

The application also allows for flexibility in personalising information. For example, information about travel arrangements can be varied so that Wellington-based players receive different information from Christchurch-based players.

The Harrier's role in giving the All Blacks an edge doesn't end there. The team's health and fitness specialists have worked with the developers of a software platform called Performance Profiler to produce an application to enhance the monitoring of each player's health and fitness. Each day, players answer a checklist of questions about their diet, sleep and exercise using their Harrier. This data is then uploaded to a central server where it is automatically collated and displayed as graphed results over a specified period. The team's specialists can then use the information to assist players in identifying factors affecting their recovery and wellbeing, while the players can monitor their results on their Harrier.

This new system will be particularly useful for monitoring players recovering from injury.

Telecom's technology also helps keep the All Blacks on top of events on the playing field. As each match unfolds, All Blacks coach Graham Henry has a selection of match statistics streaming into the coach's box on a wireless laptop equipped with a high-speed Telecom T3G data card. These statistics are produced by Verusco Technologies from their coding centre in Palmerston North and relayed to the coaching staff via a secure website.

Following the match, Verusco codes the game. This entails the logging of practically every rugby statistic imaginable. The code is emailed to All Blacks match analyst Wayne Richards who then matches this breakdown of the game with the video footage. This means specific events such as a player's break, pass, or tackle can be played and reviewed by the coaching staff and players. It's like having the world's most comprehensive commentator at your disposal," says Richards.

Mr Shand says: "At the top end of the game, we're looking for every possible advantage. How we communicate internally is an important part of the equation and with Telecom's technology we believe we'll be more efficient and able to personalize information for our players." 

For more information
Telecom New Zealand
www.telecom.co.nz

August 2005

Harrier PDA smartphone
from Telecom