Preparing the British & Irish Lions for a demanding tour requires absolute precision, fast insights, and total integration across coaching, S&C, and medical teams.
For Lions’ Head of Performance Aled Walters, STATSports has long been the trusted GPS performance solution – from his days at Munster and South Africa to his role with Ireland. On a tour where time is limited and physical demands are extreme, familiarity and efficiency are non-negotiables.
“We made the decision to use STATSports for this tour partly because I’m very familiar with the system – I love the fact that the feedback and precision of the data is excellent.”
The Lions are using APEX 2.0 which gives them another level of precision and coaching efficiency, from their pre-tour training camp in Portugal, right through to the final test in Sydney.
Why the Lions chose STATSports – Minimising Admin Time, Maximising Performance.
Aled has relied on STATSports since 2016, and that continuity has proved invaluable on this tour. The coaching and performance staff – many of whom have previous experience with the platform – are able to hit the ground running.
“Coaches aren’t getting used to new terminology and data. We need to get onto it immediately – and that’s what STATSports gives us.”
This consistency ensures that across different systems, teams, and nations, the Lions’ performance team can speak one shared language when it comes to data.
Tour life is fast. With more than 10 flights and upwards of 10,000 miles to cover across Australia, plus tight match schedules, performance monitoring needs to be efficient, reliable, and immediate.
“Due to the demands of a tour like this where playing, training & travelling is so frequent, it’s imperative that we’ve got a system that doesn’t take much admin time.
STATSports lets us generate reports quickly and get on with what matters – performing at our best.”
By using APEX 2.0, the Lions staff can have sessions downloaded in less than 90 seconds – enabling reports to be generated often before the last players have left the pitch.
For example, the Lions play their first 3 games on tour against Western Force, Queensland Reds & NSW Waratahs, all in the space of 7 days. When you consider the training days in between and the importance of those games before their first test on July 19th, having efficient systems that take very little admin time is essential.
As part of the travelling aspect of the tour, APEX 2.0 adds another layer of efficiency, even off the pitch. With our new peli-case, the team can transport all pods, Smart Dock & Smart Beacon can be transported together in one case that happens to fit perfectly as a carry on – perfect for the several domestic flights to be taken by the tourists.
Whether it’s travelling, planning for the next session or reacting to real-time data, speed of feedback supports better decision-making and clearer conversations between coaches, medics, and players.
Key Data Points for the Lions
The Lions’ performance team leans on volume and intensity metrics to ensure players are getting what they need – especially in a match schedule that often goes: Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday.
“The important thing on a tour like this, is making sure we’re achieving game intensities regularly. If a player hasn’t played for a number of days, we go back to those metrics to make sure they’re still getting a real high-demand dose.”
It’s essential that Aled and the coaches can replicate game intensity where appropriate, adjust loads where needed, and avoid unnecessary spikes that could lead to injury.
Aled will likely look at key metrics such as High Metabolic Load Distance, which is the distance travelled by a player when their Metabolic Power (Energy Consumption per Kilogram per Second) is above the value of 25.542 W/Kg. Such a metric combines multiple simple figures to give the team a key contextual insight into what a session or drill has done for a player.
However knowing what you’re looking for is one thing – it’s another being able to trust those numbers, especially when it comes to live data. APEX 2.0 gives Aled & his team the peace of mind that they’re using the most accurate data in sport.
Real-Time, Real Impact
One of the most valuable tools on tour is the live data element. It gives coaches instant insight into whether drills are hitting the right intensity and allows for in-session adjustments.
“The live data function is especially important to us. It’s a great feedback tool to coaches, to be able to say that the drills we’ve designed are at the appropriate level for different training days.”
From returning players with specific metric targets, to making real-time top-ups or early exits based on live load, this flexibility helps tailor the approach for every player, every day in camp.
For the likes of the Lions who have such a varied range of training groups and a large number of active pods doing different things, a key feature of using APEX 2.0 is the ability to schedule an automatic start up time for pods. This removes the need to go around and turn on each individual pod. Aled can simply set a time and get live data instantly for all players.
In such a fast moving tour it’s key that return to play protocols are airtight. The reliability and availability of the data throughout these sessions, away from the main group, makes a huge difference.
“As an example, a player returning from injury, we’d have real clear objectives of different metrics they need to achieve, and if they have achieved that then they might come out of a session early – if they haven’t then we’ll look to top up.
That’s where having the flexibility of the live data is particularly important to us.”
The live data removes all elements of guesswork, allowing coaches to make informed decisions without a 2nd thought. Returning players can be pushed as much as possible without crossing a line, giving Andy Farrell a full squad to choose from as often as possible.
Importance of Heart Rate Data Integration – Specifically on a Lions Tour
With players arriving from different clubs and international setups, one of the biggest challenges is understanding each individual’s training history. That’s where combining heart rate data with GPS becomes vital.
Adding context to raw GPS data through heart rate integration gives coaches a deeper layer of insight – quantifying the internal load of a session that isn’t always visible through external metrics alone.
“A 2K session before and after a long-haul flight might look the same on GPS, but the internal toll could be completely different. That’s why HR data is invaluable – it gives us the real cost of a session.”
The Lions wear our conductive vests, which have built-in sensors, removing the need for any additional chest straps – giving Aled & his team a complete, rounded view of player load in every session, visible live on Sonra and in post-session reporting.
The Power of Context: Video + GPS
Beyond the numbers, the Lions use integrated GPS and video to provide true context to player performance.
“It’s one of the greatest advancements I’ve seen. We’re not just talking about distance or intensity – we’re showing the actions behind the numbers.”
This visual reinforcement helps accelerate behavioral change and supports a more credible, player-led performance culture.
“I think on a tour like this where you need to get to a certain point pretty quickly, having the vision to back up the numbers and vice versa, makes it more credible and you get an accelerated change in players’ behavior as well.”
Ensuring players are able to enact changes quicker on such a fast moving tour is essential, with such quick turnaround between games. When it comes down to it, it can be the difference between a winning tour and a losing one.
Within Sonra’s Video Manager, it allows the likes of Aled to integrate video and tracking data in a seamless and innovative way.
Combining this with the accuracy and efficiency of the system, the team have a full view of how players are physically performing and how they are responding to load.
Conclusion
The British & Irish Lions tour represents one of the toughest, most high-profile challenges in world rugby. For Aled Walters and the high-performance team, STATSports brings clarity, efficiency, and the flexibility needed to perform under pressure.
“I love the fact that the feedback & precision of the data is excellent.”
On a tour like this, precision isn’t optional – it’s essential. Representing one of the most iconic teams in world rugby, the British & Irish Lions demand the highest standards. With STATSports, the Lions have the tools to act quickly, make informed decisions, and maintain those elite standards from start to finish.
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