Antoine Dupont’s Post

EQUITY is a very important value in my life (more than EQUALITY, but that’s another post for another day). At last night’s Denver Barbarians Rugby Club training, we had a scrimmage against our “sister” rugby club, Colorado Gray Wolves. I used to coach a women's team back in New York, and many of my current players have played in co-ed touch rugby teams, but this was the first time any of us had played in a men vs women game. Specific aspects were adapted and controlled to maintain safety and security, but otherwise it was a regular scrimmage. In our sport, soft skills such as rugby IQ, spatial awareness, and communication are no less important than hard “skills” such as strength, physicality, and aggression, and under last night’s controlled conditions, the soft skills in my players were thoroughly tested. The result was a highly competitive, highly skillful, and highly equitable game of rugby where both teams adapted, learned, and had fun, three key tenets of my coaching (and leadership) philosophy. Moral of the story: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. This is true in sport and in business, and to achieve equity we must recognize these inequalities, make adjustments, and adapt. But here’s the rub: blindly putting our thumb on the scale to engineer equity, is the absolute antithesis of equity. #passion #purpose #performance #equity #leadership #coaching #timrhutchins

Great to see STATSports having such a positive impact on a National League Rugby side. Favourite quote from Luctonians Sports Club : "It has given us another level of professionalism." 👏 All helps with growing levels three and four of the English game. #Nat1 #Nat2n #Nat2e #Nat2w #rugby #rugbyunion #statsports #partnerships #gpstracker #dataanalytics

Round 4 assessment of the @Rugby World Cup France 2023 complete! Simulation type A - 7/8 match winners predicted correctly - 4/8 wins exceeding predicted score difference - 6/8 victories falling within most likely winning margin Simulation type B - 8/8 match winners predicted correctly - 5/8 away team scores predicted within ±5 points So far 26/32 (Type A) 29/32 (Type B) match winners correctly predicted, 19/32 wins falling within most likely winning margin, 14/32 (home) 27/32 (away) scores predicted within ±9 points. #rugby #rugbyworldcup #rwc2023 #datascience #prediction #predictivemodelling

"𝙄𝙩 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙣... "𝙄𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙢" STATSports 🤝 Luctonians Sports Club The #Nat2w league leaders have been using STATSports' GPS player trackers and Apex Coach Series to improve their performances this season 📈🏉 Find out more about STATSports 👉 https://lnkd.in/eEXrXTSi #Nat1 #Nat2n #Nat2e #Nat2e #Nat2w #rugby #rugbyunion #rugbydata #rugbystats #gpstracking #sportsdata #sportstechnology #dataanalytics

If you’re a sportsperson looking to attract more brand partnerships, listen to this easy tip! 👀 We say this to our clients all the time and it genuinely takes less than 30 seconds… PUT YOUR EMAIL IN YOUR BIO Make it as easy as possible for brands to contact you. They’re busy and don’t want to go looking for your email. It sounds simple but it can be the difference between having opportunities come through and not. It also shows you’re organised and ready to take opportunities! 👏 #sportbiz #sportmanagement #sportmarketing #sport #athlete #athletelife #athletelifestyle #athletemotivation #rugby #rugbyplayer #rugbylife #footballerlife #soccerlife #soccerplayer #footballplayer

Oh, this looks good STATSports! 💥 Our partners STATSports have introduced a new features update for their Apex Coach Series system. ✅ Measures impacts ✅ Available in 20 languages The Apex Coach Series system is affordable and simplified to allow clubs at all levels - including in National League Rugby - to push team performance boundaries. Find out more about the new additions below! 👉 https://lnkd.in/eEXrXTSi 👈 #Nat1 #Nat2n #Nat2e #Nat2w #rugby #rugbyunion #sportsdata #sportstechnology #gpstracking #gpstracker #dataanalytics

The immediate challenge facing #worldrugby authorities is how to construct a new competitive structure other than the traditional and select Six Nations and Rugby Championship which only involves the top 9 teams plus Italy. Time for an overhaul to bring into such a competitive structure T2 and 3 nations. A four yearly World Cup will not suffice.

Has your club ever needed a camera man last minute and they're not confident in their abilities? Or maybe you're experienced already but looking to get some refreshers! We made a short video with some tips on how to film rugby with some basic principles and a few examples as well. Send it on to someone you think could use it! https://lnkd.in/dQHJ3eUG #rugby #rugbyunion #sportsanalyst #rugbyanalytics #sports #sportsanalysis #sportsanalytics #howtofilmrugby #howto #film #sportsfilming

The Power of Team Spirit: Lessons from the Stormers In the world of sports, the story of the Stormers stands as a testament to the incredible power of team spirit. Despite facing challenges and resource constraints, this remarkable team has shown us what true resilience and unity can accomplish. In project management, just like in rugby, the spirit of the team is often the cornerstone of success. The Stormers' journey reminds us that when a team is united by a shared vision and a collective determination, even the most daunting obstacles can be overcome. It's not always about having the most resources, but how effectively a team can leverage its strengths and work cohesively towards a common goal. This principle is especially relevant in the field of civil engineering and construction projects, where complexities and uncertainties are a norm. Here, the spirit of a team doesn't just contribute to overcoming challenges; it becomes the driving force that pushes the boundaries of what we can achieve. Let's take inspiration from the Stormers and strive to foster a team spirit that thrives on collaboration, resilience, and shared purpose. As we engrain this spirit into our teams, we unlock the potential to achieve remarkable feats, regardless of the resources at hand. Project Management Institute PMI South Africa Chapter #TeamSpirit #ProjectManagement #Resilience #Collaboration #Leadership

Its always a pleasure and a privilege to be able to put these articles together. Many thanks, as always, to all at iSportConnect for the opportunity. It is also a very stimulating exercise that stretches the brain and forces one to confront some uncomfortable truths. I hope readers find the attached 5 minute read thought-provoking and that it stimulates some debate and conversation. My over-riding concern is that technology has been introduced onto the field of play with a blind faith that "all tech is good tech" and that it will undoubtedly improve things (as it has off the field for the sports industry). However, if it is not adding to spectator experience and enjoyment, if it undermines the decisions of officials, if it creates confusion, is not replicable throughout the sport, does not add to player safety and clarity, and is unhelpful to broadcasters then it is likely to meet with widespread antipathy. After another weekend of VAR controversy (and a near 2-hour long game of football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last night) one has to consider whether doubling-down on this technology is really the best move by the likes of The Premier League and World Rugby. Yes, it creates column-inches and social media comment but ultimately the constant angst around technological review of every action will chip away at the view of the "product" and erode it from the bottom-up. This will be tough to detect until it is potentially too late for "top down" organisations like most sports governing bodies. Andy Sutherden Roger Mitchell Andrew Brember Pierre Justo Andrew Milnes Spencer Nolan Lynsey Pennie-Douglas Michael Jones Nicole Allison (She/Her) Tim Goodman Tracy Schoenadel Sandra Greer Sandy Case Adam Fraser