6 minute read
Join the Club: Video Connects North Harbour Rugby Union at all Levels
The introduction of Hudl has provided integration between
clubs, women’s teams and referees in the union.
Maintaining contact with the numerous amount of clubs in a region can be a challenge, but QBE Harbour Mitre 10 Cup head coach Tom Coventry overcomes it by using Hudl to communicate with club coaches throughout the area.
“It brings all the clubs together. Coaches will ask me questions, they can share their game clips with me, and I can send the feedback through the app in return,” Coventry said.
“One session from a head coach to a club side is only a drop in the ocean, really, as to how you can assist them. What we want to do is not just make it a one-off event, so we try and keep that communication open. It’s pretty huge for us and without [Hudl], we would be floundering around.”
With Mitre 10 Cup being a semi-professional competition, teams source a sizeable chunk of their playing roster from standout club players in the region. Using Hudl as a scouting platform has made it easier for QBE Harbour’s staff to effectively find top talent across the wide range of local matches.
“Hudl is huge for our player scouting,” said Coventry. “The resources you have for a Mitre 10 cup-team are reasonably limited and we have five premier matches going on every weekend which need to be viewed. Every club match is captured on video and we do our best to watch the majority of these each week.
“We operate a wider training group made up of academy players, plus a handful of boys who don’t play Super Rugby, but are contracted to the Union and use Hudl to review their games and provide feedback to them every week.”
“I’m in front of the laptop pretty much all day so if someone shares clips of me, it pops up in front of me. It’s always right at the click of a button.
Self-analysis and individual learning are key aspects for amateur players looking to make the jump into professionalism. Coventry and his team rely on Hudl to provide a platform for this vital stage of player development.
“The players want us as coaches to share feedback with them, but we also expect them to be able to modify their own behaviour, cut clips of themselves when they’re training, and bring them along to share with us,” Coventry said. “It becomes a two-way thing once you step up into Mitre 10 Cup and it’s a high expectation that the boys will come and do their role, do self-analysis, and share that information back to the team.
“We’re not only upskilling them as rugby players, but also in using technology as it’s pretty important for their development,” said Coventry. “Operating franchises and provincial unions in New Zealand rugby will use [Hudl] because it’s crucial moving forward.
“Like anything in life, education and knowledge of what you’re using and how you use it efficiently is the way forward.”
Performance analyst Alistair Beeton has overseen the use of Hudl at QBE North Harbour and has already seen it increase engagement, from grassroots to the elite level.
“We have been able to transition to newer players who are maybe just starting their career or recently out of school to tap into it,” said Beeton. “The amount of clubs now using the platforms shows the growing interest.”
As a result of the club placing video analysis resources throughout the organization, Beeton and his staff have noticed an uptick in education on the field.
“Instead of just approaching the game with the same tactics week in, week out, teams are now able to manipulate how they play relative to their opposition by having the ability to scout their opposition. They look at their video content to deliver and develop game plans that will relate to what they would want to do for their future matches.
“Coaches are also better connected to QBE North Harbour Rugby, so there has been more education amongst the community and this has formed part of the transition from where we were in the past, to where we are now.”
Beeton explains how using video analysis at senior levels causes a trickle-down effect on age groups, women’s teams and referees.
“We’re not really leaving any part of the union untouched, it trickles down to our under-19s high-performance program and our QBE women’s Farah Palmer Cup side are tapping into it also,” Beeton said.
“We found, to some extent, that the women’s teams engage more with it than the men’s and there’s a genuine excitement as they have access to a tool they otherwise wouldn’t have had. Then we’ve got our second-grade teams that are on the platform, which tells the club community that this product is accessible to everyone in our union.”
Referees are an extremely valuable resource for a provincial union and another area where video analysis aids development.
“Referees are quite often the first ones to ask for game footage. Through that, we’ve been able to see the development of referees, with some now involved at Mitre 10 Cup level,” said Beeton. “A big part of that is how we educate and review through the platform.”
For a current semi-professional player who juggles work or study with training and playing, finding work-life balance is crucial. Lewis Gjaltema, who has been part of the QBE North Harbour senior setup since 2016, knows Hudl has been integral to keeping up with his studies while also developing from club to a professional environment.
“I want to be the best in my game, so review is a huge part of that and it’s becoming a big part of preparations at Mitre 10 Cup level,” said Gjaltema.
“I watch myself for skill execution. There’s always plenty of clips from our coaches and preview footage for our upcoming opponents to study. If there’s something I’m not sure about during the day, I can watch back, then get clarity.
“For me, it’s perfect, really, because I’m in front of the laptop pretty much all day,” said Gjaltema. “It’s always right in front of me at the click of a button.”
Gjaltema has no shortage of motivation to reach his ultimate goal.
“I want to make a living and career out of professional rugby. So I’m going to be doing everything I can these next few years to make that happen. Obviously video analysis can be a huge part of that. I’ll be watching as much footage as I can to prove myself and give myself the best chance of getting there.”
