How Pembrokeshire College Rugby Academy Elevates Performance with Nacsport Hub

School sport, especially rugby has never been more competitive. The difference between good and great often comes down to the details. For Pembrokeshire College's Rugby Academy, those details are being captured, analysed, and transformed into performance gains through Nacsport and Nacsport Hub.

The Challenge of Modern Rugby Development

Rugby is no longer just about what happens on the pitch during match day. The modern game demands a holistic approach to player development, one that encompasses technical skills, tactical awareness, and a deep understanding of individual and team performance.

Matt Jess, Head of Rugby at Pembrokeshire College, understands this all too well:

"There's so much more to the game of rugby. Running lines, support lines, work rate, working off the ball, how much ball time is in play. For me, upskilling those players to understand that rugby isn't just about certain actions on the pitch. There's a lot more to it."

This complexity presents a challenge: How do you effectively communicate these nuances to young players in a way that resonates and drives improvement?

Enter Nacsport and Nacsport Hub

After experience with other analysis platforms, Pembrokeshire College made the switch to Nacsport for their analysis. The reason? According to Tom Meredith, WRU Hub Officer:

"If I'm honest, Nacsport is probably the best one I've used. So easy to use, so simple. How to set a dashboard to the timeline. Really easy."

But it's not just the analysis software that's making the difference, it's how that analysis is being shared and consumed through Nacsport Hub.

The Social Media Approach to Performance Analysis

One of the most striking innovations of Nacsport Hub is its familiar, social media-style interface. In an age where young athletes are digital natives, this approach has proven invaluable for youth player engagement. Meredith continues:

"A massive thing for us is being able to use it like a social media platform, because it's kind of that same template they're used to with Facebook and Instagram and stuff. It's really easy for them to use the Hub.."

This familiarity removes barriers to engagement. Players don't need extensive training to navigate the platform, they intuitively understand how to interact with content, comment on clips, and participate in video-based discussions.

Beyond Just Watching Matches

The impact goes far beyond simple video sharing. Aled Waters, WRU Hub Officer, highlights how Nacsport Hub transforms the analytical process:

"It's about pushing as much data and as much videos and clips across to the players as possible. We can discuss defence, we mention lineout, we mention our attack. We can chuck that straight in there and then that engagement with the players, asking them questions like what did we do well here? how can we improve this for our next game moving forward?"

This two-way communication creates a collaborative learning environment where players become active participants in their development rather than passive recipients of coaching instruction.

Creating Independent Learners

Perhaps the most significant impact of implementing Nacsport Hub has been the development of self-sufficient, analytical players. As Waters notes:

"The players are always watching themselves, they do want to get better, they do strive to hopefully progress to that regional level. They know that if they work on their own game, watch themselves back, it's only them that can put them in that right stead with our guidance."

This independence is crucial for long-term development. Players at Pembrokeshire College aren't just improving their on-field performance—they're developing analytical skills that will serve them throughout their rugby careers.

Coaching the Coaches

The benefits extend to the coaching staff as well. The platform allows coaches to reflect on their own methods and approach:

"It's such a great tool for developing the players, but I can also look back at myself. What my coaching style is like for example, because it's good for us to film some stuff when we are training. I can look back on how I am and how I can implement changes to make the experience better not just for me, but for the players."

The Technical Edge

Nacsport Hub delivers powerful technical capabilities that make this level of analysis possible:

• Multi-Device Accessibility: Available on any device through iOS and Android apps

• Team Channel: Enabling collaborative learning through video-based discussions with detailed annotations

• Multiple Angle Viewing: Giving players and coaches different perspectives on performance

• Drawing Tools: For clear visual communication of tactical concepts

• Presentation Building: Creating professional analytical content for team sessions

• Live Sharing: Push clips and data directly to the bench during matches
  

For Matt Jess, these capabilities align perfectly with the academy's mission:

"For me it's about getting rounded better rugby players. Also having them think about goals, what's their mission in life. Scarlets is the nearest touch point. So, can they become the next regional academy player?"

The Security Factor

For educational institutions, data security is paramount. Nacsport Hub provides secure spaces for all teams while allowing controlled cross-club collaboration when needed. This means coaches can monitor team progress while maintaining appropriate privacy boundaries.

Creating Complete Rugby Players

The ultimate goal for Pembrokeshire College isn't just winning matches—it's developing complete rugby players who understand the game on a deeper level. As Jess puts it:

"I think with analysis, you can break the game down, you can provide good delivery in terms of the resources, key times, key instances, and those players then get a real appetite of how to individually get better but then also collectively as a team get better."

That holistic approach—combining technical skills, tactical awareness, and analytical thinking—is creating a new generation of rugby players who are as sharp mentally as they are physically.

Conclusion: A New Standard for Rugby Development

The implementation of Nacsport and Nacsport Hub at Pembrokeshire College represents more than just adopting new technology—it's about transforming how young rugby players engage with their sport and their development.

The social media-style interface of Nacsport Hub has proven to be the perfect bridge between serious performance analysis and the digital world today's athletes inhabit. By meeting players on familiar ground, Pembrokeshire College is driving engagement, fostering independence, and ultimately creating better rugby players.

As Waters concludes:

"Without them having the use of Nacsport, they wouldn't be in the prepared stead that they are in."

Ready to transform how your team engages with performance analysis? Start your free trial of Nacsport Hub today and join forward-thinking institutions like Pembrokeshire College in revolutionising player development.

Watch our video about Pembrokeshire College's use of Nacsport and Nacsport Hub