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England Touch Association and Prorizon unite for female athletes
On this International Women's Day, Prorizon, a healthtech start-up dedicated to optimising mind and body, health and performance for athletes, announced its partnership with the England Touch Association (ETA), the governing body for Touch (rugby) in England.
This collaboration initially aims to enhance the health and performance of ETA's Women's Open Squad, offering this group of female athletes the tools and support they need to reach their full potential both on and off the pitch.
The England Women's Open Squad has been one of the ETA's marquee groups in recent years, retaining their European Championship Gold medal status in 2022 and preparing to take on the world at the 2024 Touch World Cup in Nottingham. Many former players have continued to excel within the ETA's High Performance program, earning additional medals in both the Women's 27s and Women's 35s categories at the European Championships and World Cups.
The partnership will provide ETA athletes with a mobile app that integrates with wearable technology, collecting comprehensive biometric data and monitoring mental wellbeing and daily performance. The app will deliver personalised insights and in-app access to sports science experts and mentoring, as well as relevant expert content on health and performance. It is designed for athletes to use in their personal training programs and day-to-day life, as well as when they are in camp with the rest of the squad.
"We're proud to partner with the England Touch Association and launch a pilot with their Women's Open Squad," said Prof. Claire Stewart, Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder of Prorizon. "Our goal is to empower athletes with the tools and knowledge they need to optimise their physical and mental health and help them reach their full potential."
The ETA has adopted this holistic mind and body approach to its athletes' overall development, and this partnership aligns with its goal of supporting the growth and development of athletes both on and off the field .
"We care about our athletes and understand the unique challenges faced in high-performance environments. This partnership with Prorizon provides a significant step towards achieving our goal of supporting our athletes in all aspects of their growth and development," said Chris Simon, England Touch Association CEO.
“We recognise the inclusivity of Touch and in particular the opportunity it presents to get more women and girls participating. It is at the heart of our vision for the next 10 years, and this exciting and proactive partnership with an organisation such as Prorizon is one part of our commitment in this area. We will certainly be looking to cascade the lessons learned from the Women’s Open squad into the rest of our High Performance programme as well as the sport as a whole.”
This partnership represents a significant step forward for the sports industry, highlighting the importance of mental and physical health in high-performance environments and the role that data-driven technology can play in supporting it. The insights gained from this pilot study will be used to further develop Prorizon's technology and better serve the needs of athletes.