Catenae Innovation trialling 'OnSide' in rugby environment

Digital media and technology provider Catenae Innovation has signed its first agreement for ‘OnSide’ within Premiership Rugby, it announced on Friday.

The AIM-traded firm said it entered into a proof-of -concept agreement with Harlequins Foundation, the independent charity created by Harlequins Rugby Club.

It described the OnSide product as a centralised management tool, specifically developed for sports organisations.

OnSide deals with “all the key elements” of community coaching, from the scheduling of staff and timesheet processing, through to attendee management and reporting, in a GDPR-compliant platform.

The proof-of-concept would also review the interaction between OnSide and ‘Upshot’, a synergeous performance management software solution developed by the Football Foundation.

It was anticipated that, on successful completion of the proof-of-concept, Harlequins would convert the programme to a commercial agreement, with Catenae saying that a further announcement would be made in due course.

“We see this as a significant step for the OnSide product, which has traditionally been used in football,” said Catenae Innovation chief executive officer Tony Sanders.

“This agreement is the first step in bringing OnSide into the rugby arena and we are especially pleased to be working with an organisation of Harlequins standing and reputation.”

Sanders aid that, with ongoing conversations in progress with other rugby clubs, the company hoped to announce further agreements in the area in the near future.

“Another important element of this agreement is the opportunity to work with Upshot, whose product is widely used across many sports, with the combined functionality of the two products providing a compelling solution for all sports clubs, potentially opening up additional markets for the solution.”