Drones, strobe goggles and VR: How England Rugby's 'Q' uses tech to boost player performance
Duncan Locke, England Rugby's head of performance services and innovation, known as the RFU's 'Q', employs technologies like strobe goggles, hypoxic masks, and drone filming to enhance players' cognitive and physical abilities.
Behind the scenes of England's rugby teams, a figure reminiscent of James Bond's quartermaster 'Q' is at work. Duncan Locke, the Rugby Football Union's (RFU) head of performance services and innovation, scours the tech landscape for gadgets and methods to give England's men's and women's squads an edge on the pitch.
One of Locke's tools is strobe goggles, which flicker between clear and opaque to train players' cognitive processing speed, crucial for catching high balls. Players like Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Noah Caluori, and Cadan Murley have tried them, with fly-half George Ford watching from afar, amused but aware of the serious intent. Locke explains that the goggles help players process the ball's flight quicker.
Ahead of a match against South Africa at Ellis Park, Johannesburg—which sits 1,724 meters above sea level—Locke and coaches used hypoxic masks to simulate altitudes over 3,000 meters during intense stationary bike sessions, aiming to boost aerobic capacity and resilience for the high-altitude challenge.
Locke also deploys drones to film training sessions from above, giving the team a bird's-eye view of their shape and potential weaknesses. Computer vision—a branch of AI originally developed for surveillance— allows analysis cameras to recognize and autonomously track individual players amidst the chaos of training.
Virtual reality (VR) is another tool: players wear VR headsets to catch virtual balls coming from various angles, sharpening their reaction times. Locke has also borrowed learning theories from education to tailor feedback for players of different ages—short snippets for younger players reminiscent of social media styles.
Data sharing between clubs and the national team enables monitoring of player loads to prevent injuries. Wireless electromyography (EMG) sensors provide real-time measurements of muscle recovery, while limb tracking, once limited to specialist facilities, is now done pitchside via iPads to correct sprint technique imbalances.
Locke stresses that none of these innovations will revolutionise rugby; they are marginal gains that support coaching decisions and player work. He cites a sociological quote: "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts," emphasizing the importance of relationships, intuition, and experience alongside data-driven insights.
