Why are W RUGBY Balls the Best?
One of our core values is quality. There are so many rugby balls on the market today that it’s hard to choose which one is the best. W RUGBY is a new brand, so why even come to market, unless you can create the best rugby balls around - and that’s what we’ve done.
A whole lot of research has gone into creating something, new, exciting and innovative. From talking to players themselves, to using scientific techniques and research, to other… not-so-scientific methods. We explain what goes into engineering the best ball in the world.
Performance
Vision is the largest source of information for catching a rugby ball. In a 2014 study, it was found that the best sportspeople in the world followed a ball with their eye for over 95% of time that it was in the air, even when running at top speed.
To maximise hand-eye-coordination, the very best sportspeople master two visual skills; Quiet Eye and Predictive Control. [Joan Vickers, cognitive psychologist, University of Calgary]
Quiet Eye is the ability to maintain a level and strong gaze on a distant object for an usually long period of time.
Predictive Control is the brain’s ability to gather information from the eyes and use it to predict what will happen next.
Vickers says the best athletes she has studied have two skills combined. First, they use the quiet eye technique to take a clear snapshot of an approaching ball, and then while it approaches them, will instantly compare it to a vast library of experience drawn from years of practice. By using predictive control, they can make a near perfect calculation of where it will go and how to put themselves in position to make the play.
That made us think. If your eyes are so pivotal in giving you so much of the information, let’s make a ball that would allow it to focus easier.
We crafted a design that would give maximum contrast not just on the ball, but also against a pitch, crowd and players. This eye-catching design means that it may give your eyes the ability to concentrate quicker on the ball, maintain a strong gaze and allow your brain to process the information that the eye feeds to it.
Grip
Whilst eye information is an important element, it is a cognitive function which you do so well without even ‘thinking’. So, when you ask a player about important factors, it is so well-ingrained that it doesn’t even show up on the radar.
That is exactly what we did – asked the player. Before we created our ball, we asked club and international men’s and women’s rugby union players about what the most important element for them is, and the answers were, overwhelmingly, grip.
Almost all of the players complained about ball grip and how it either doesn’t last or isn’t very good in the first place.
So we listened and made a ball for the player.
W RUGBY balls are engineered with premium, top grade synthetic which sticks to the hand in all conditions. We even have variations of grip available; from traditional, to two-step embossed grip for that extra fusion between your hand and the ball.
Flight & Balance
You want to be dead-certain that wherever you aim your pass or kick, you expect the ball to get to the target. Every time.
W RUGBY balls are designed with flight and balance in mind, where various components come into play:
In-seam air valves ensure that the ball remains balanced, as opposed to placing it into the centre of a panel. Centre-panel valves are easier to manufacture (therefore cheaper) and require extra material support meaning that the ball becomes less balanced. In-seam valve balls are not a new feature; however, they are usually reserved for premium match balls. All W RUGBY balls feature in-seam valves, even academy training balls, meaning that you maintain the feel and consistency of the ball, from training ground to match days. It comes down to predictability again – if you know what the ball is going to do because you’ve been training with it, you’ll inevitably have more success with it.
The shape of the ball also matters. World Rugby laws are fairly broad when it comes to the length, circumference and width of the ball meaning that the shape may be inconsistent from one brand to another. There wasn’t much ‘science’ when it came to creating the ball shape. Each player will have their own preference. Saying that, W RUGBY people are all current or ex-rugby players who spent hours on testing and picking a ball shape that ‘felt right’. So we made that.
Air Retention
Lastly, the ball bladder is the area where technology has advanced the furthest in regard to rugby balls. From the very first pig bladder rugby ball to the material advances of today, rugby balls are better than ever. W RUGBY stands for quality, so we picked the latest and greatest “super bladder” which has one of the highest air retention properties on the market today.
So now that you know what makes W RUGBY balls the best, why not check them out for yourself?
