Mike Brewer starts new GPS training at Sale Sharks

Brewer has taken many coaching responsibilities from Kingsley Jones

New Sale coach Mike Brewer has announced that Sale will use a GPS tracking system to aid their training.

The 45 year-old Kiwi succeeded Jason Robinson as coach at the end of last season and is looking to improve on last year's 11th placed finish.

Brewer said: "In a lot of training sessions you are not entirely sure how hard those players are working - but the GPS system can tell us."

Sale are about to start pre-season training ahead of the new campaign.

The new monitors will be attached to every player throughout training to follow individual performances and to help prevent injuries during training and throughout the season.

Brewer stated: "I know from using them at Leinster that if we noticed someone's rate was way above where it should be there was a 150 per cent chance it would lead to an injury.

"That meant we took the player out of training and so we reduced soft tissue injuries by about 50 or 60 per cent. It's all about the well being of the athlete."

Sale are only the second rugby club in England to implement the technology after Leicester but it is already being used by some of the biggest names in world sport including Manchester United, Real Madrid and the New Zealand national side.

The system has however come at a significant cost to the club with the purchasing of all the equipment and new staff to monitor the results.

Brewer added: "The cost is expensive as far as a capital cost [at] about two thirds of the cost of what we would term a squad player.

"But if it can keep more than one player on the training field and make them available to play then its paying for itself."