Sports and Exercise Science: Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Smart Rugby (Statistical Machine Analysis for Rugby Team Success)

This forward-looking PhD project merges performance science with advanced data analytics and machine learning to further enhance performance prediction in elite rugby union. The successful candidate will work with a comprehensive dataset spanning multiple seasons of elite competition, featuring team KPIs, individual player and ball GPS tracking data, and player wellness information. 

The project centres on developing predictive frameworks that accurately forecast match outcomes and league positioning through sophisticated data analysis. The candidate will implement machine learning techniques to identify latent patterns in the data, construct hierarchical models integrating individual and team metrics, and employ time-series analysis across seasons. These models will be enhanced with individual player metrics, we will investigate the use of scale-free frameworks such as, topological data analysis, to connect multi-level data streams to improve current models. 

This project offers significant opportunities to contribute to both theoretical understanding of sports analytics and practical applications for elite teams. The successful candidate will develop expertise in applying cutting-edge computational methods to complex, real-world problems while producing publications for high-impact journals. Ideal candidates will possess strong quantitative skills, programming experience, and an interest in applied machine learning in sports performance contexts. 

The successful candidate will also be embedded in a professional rugby environment and gain significant experience in hands on data collection, data analysis, data presentation and interpretation.   

Funding Details

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £19,237 for 2024/25) plus an enhanced minimum additional stipend of £3,000 per year for four years.

There is a £1000 per year research training support grant (RTSG)

Additional research expenses of between £3,000 and £5,000 per year will also be available.

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