The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys will become the first National Rugby League club to partner with medical device company dorsaVi to help with injury prevention and recovery with its playing staff.
Already utilised by English Premier League giants Manchester United and the Australian Institute of Sport, dorsaVi’s ViPerform system is the latest technological advance for injury screening and rehabilitation.
The high-tech system, which will arrive at Cowboys HQ later this month, consists of a series of wireless electronic sensors placed across the body and is designed to capture, quantify and assess detailed aspects of human movement.
Cowboys and Australian Kangaroos physiotherapist Steve Sartori said linking with dorsaVi would help the Cowboys keep their players healthy and on the field for the maximum amount of time during the gruelling NRL season.
“By partnering with dorsaVi and integrating ViPerform into the Cowboys’ training program, we hope to significantly improve how we detect and prevent injuries to our playing group,” Mr Sartori said.
“ViPerform will also help us create personalised and more effective injury recovery programs, helping injured players get back on the park quicker.”
dorsaVi CEO Andrew Ronchi said he was excited to sign the company’s first rugby league contract as pre-season training for NRL clubs continues.
“We’re excited not only to be playing a small but important part in the Cowboys’ 2014 season, but to also see our technology’s adoption in different sporting codes,” Mr Ronchi said.
“While ViPerform has been designed with athletes in mind, it’s important to note the core technology is based around injury detection and prevention, which has applications across various sectors including the workplace and clinical settings."
ViPerform is currently used by six AFL clubs, two English Premier League clubs, the Australian and Victorian Institutes of Sport, the Queensland Academy of Sport and Cricket Australia.
