Simetrica-Jacobs tackles player wellbeing measurement with top English rugby team

Harlequins, one of the oldest and most prestigious rugby teams in the world, has become the first professional sports club in the world to scientifically measure player wellbeing, by teaming up with Jacobs subsidiary Simetrica-Jacobs, leaders in wellbeing and social value measurement in an initial pilot study. The announcement has received global coverage with high interest from Premier League football clubs and from tennis and rugby internationally.

A decade of wellbeing research by Simetrica-Jacobs has found that wellbeing is the single biggest driver of performance in many workplace settings, and this could prove really significant for sport performance management, providing deeper insight into personal wellness and its effects on performance. The program will provide players and coaches with the tools to monitor personal wellbeing and performance as well as the factors that affect them.

Simetrica-Jacobs’ solution to wellbeing, /P/C/S/ (Performance.Care.Science), will look at factors that affect both workplace performance and personal wellbeing - everything from social relationships, training regime, and diet, to the environment and weather. /P/C/S/ uses cutting-edge research from behavioural science, psychology and economics to analyze how every key aspect of a player’s life and training regime impacts on wellbeing, ultimately helping players to improve teamwork and performance and on-pitch success.

Director of Simetrica-Jacobs, Dr Daniel Fujiwara commented: “Through our research, we have found that there are a number ways that we can improve people’s wellbeing which leads to better life outcomes including improved health, better social relationships, better productivity, improved teamwork, better training and on-pitch performance and, importantly for pro athletes, reduced injury proneness. We have seen significant improvements with the groups we have worked with to date, and the time is right to apply this in sport where marginal gains are key.”

“What Simetrica-Jacobs offer is unique and completely different to other wellbeing services and products currently on the market,” said Harlequins Head of Athletic Performance Gareth Tong. “Their interventions focus on easy to do, simple activities to improve player wellbeing, meaning it will be compatible with and complement the mindfulness work we currently undertake. I am looking forward to seeing the results positively impact all areas of training and ultimately match day performance.”