Global Sports Innovation Ltd was created by Scottish rugby coach and inventor, Richie Gray, to pioneer the development of training equipment around the advances in the modern game.

A new product, The Maul King, was designed to improve individual and collective roles, movement and tactical awareness.  The company required mechanical expertise to develop the product for the market

Solution

GSI Ltd utilised the Interface service to identify expertise from Heriot Watt University.  Interface – The knowledge connection for business facilitated the partnership between GSI Ltd and Heriot Watt University who provided the necessary mechanical engineering assistance. The project was awarded a Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher.  

Dr Daniil Yurchenko from the university worked with Gray over the past three years to develop scientific principles around the science of collision. His models helped Gray to analyse how a typical rugby player’s physique would respond to pressure and charges from various angles and at various strengths.

Benefits

The Company have developed a new product, Maul King, which they have launched and received orders from across the rugby world.

Richie Gray, owner of GSI Ltd commented “I spent a lot of time working out a concept that I hoped could seriously improve teams’ technique in the maul area and with the help of Interface and Heriot Watt University the Maul King was developed”

Follow-On Activity

This initial collaboration gave Richie insight and new knowledge about how players moved, which he has incorporated into subsequent innovations such as the Scrum360 and recently-launched ProScrum. Both have been taken to market by world-leading equipment supplier Rhino.

Please note that Interface administers the Innovation Voucher Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council. All funding applications are reviewed on a case by case basis by the Scottish Funding Council, guidelines can be found here.