Keane Wheeler
PhD candidate
Research that aims to enhance the performance of rugby union athletes is underway at USC, with an examination of training and agility by PhD candidate Keane Wheeler.
Keane, whose research aims to establish a link between 'pure' sports science and industry sports coaching, hopes to provide coaches with knowledge that can be easily applied in the frontline of sports development and athletic training.
At the completion of his project, Keane will present a clear pattern of the biomechanics of agility in rugby union so as to improve an athlete's running technique to enhance speed of performance and the effectiveness of the athlete when in contact with an opponent.
"On publication of this study, it will be the first scientific measurement of agility skill execution with an aim to performance enhancement in elite athletes," Keane says.
Keane says his continued involvement in rugby union as both a player and a coach has helped him maintain enthusiasm for his research, while the facilities and staff at USC made for a "dynamic" research environment.
Keane also takes inspiration from his research supervisor Dr Mark Sayers, who has been a consultant to several national and international high profile sporting bodies. He is currently the consultant biomechanist and specialist skills coach for the New Zealand All Blacks.
"The knowledge that Mark contributes from his experiences working with elite sporting teams is both immense and inspiring," Keane says.
"His knowledge and interest extends far beyond the realms of rugby union, promoting an in-depth understanding of research and its broader application to sport, health and science.
"His mentoring ensures that the environment in which I am working is constantly revolving around best-practice scientific research coupled with the valid application of my research findings."
Having completed the first stage of his research—the analysis of more than 1,000 separate attacking phases in elite-level rugby union games—Keane will use multiple camera capture and specifically designed motion analysis software to undertake analysis of agility running patterns.
"The final stage of my research will involve an intervention study in which I aim to use the information gathered from stages one and two to train agility in high-level rugby union athletes," Keane says.