Oli May: The Rugby Data Professional Helping Shape England Rugby Performance Analysis
How Oli May Supports England Rugby With Data and Video Tools

Oli May is a sports performance analysis professional associated with England Rugby, where data, video, and tactical detail are used to support elite-level decision-making. Unlike players and head coaches, analysts usually work away from the public spotlight, but their contribution has become increasingly important in modern rugby. Their work helps coaching staff understand performance patterns, review opposition strengths, assess training quality, and prepare players for demanding international competition.
Oli May’s name is linked most clearly with the Rugby Football Union and England Rugby’s performance analysis environment. Public information from Middlesex University confirms that he completed a placement with the England Rugby Senior Men’s team while studying MSc Sport Performance Analysis and later gained a full-time role with the RFU as a data and video co-ordinator. His public professional profile has also listed him as a Performance Data Analyst with England Rugby.
This article provides a careful, accurate, and updated overview of Oli May’s background, education, role, career path, skills, Wikipedia status, age, family details, and net worth information, while avoiding unsupported claims.
Who Is Oli May?
Oli May is best known as a rugby performance analysis professional working in the data and video side of elite sport. His career sits at the point where rugby knowledge, digital tools, match footage, and performance data come together. In a high-performance rugby setting, this type of role is not just about watching games. It involves collecting information, coding events, building reports, identifying trends, and turning complicated match details into clear insights for coaches and players.
Performance analysts are an important part of professional rugby because modern teams need more than instinct and experience. Coaches still rely on their understanding of the game, but they also need objective evidence. This evidence may come from match video, training clips, set-piece reviews, opposition profiles, attacking patterns, defensive structures, kicking data, and player involvement. Oli May’s career reflects this wider shift in rugby, where analysis has become a serious professional discipline.
Oli May Early Life and Rugby Interest
Publicly available information about Oli May’s early life is limited. There are no verified public records giving full details about his birthplace, parents, childhood, or school background. This is normal for many professionals who work behind the scenes in elite sport rather than as media-facing personalities.
What is publicly known is that Oli May had a strong connection with rugby from an early age. Middlesex University reported that he had played rugby since he was young and wanted to build a career in the sport. This detail is important because it shows that his route into analysis was not only technical or academic. It was also connected to a long-standing interest in rugby itself.
That rugby background matters in performance analysis. A strong analyst does not simply collect numbers. They must understand the rhythm of the game, the meaning of tactical choices, and the way coaches think. Having played and followed rugby can help an analyst interpret footage more naturally and communicate with rugby staff more effectively.
Education and Academic Background
MSc Sport Performance Analysis
Oli May’s academic journey includes study in Sport Performance Analysis at Middlesex University. This field focuses on how athletes and teams can be examined through video, data, and structured observation. Students in this area learn how to record performance, code match events, evaluate tactical behaviour, and present findings in a way that supports coaching decisions.
Sport Performance Analysis is a highly practical subject. It requires technical ability, sporting intelligence, and communication skills. In rugby, analysts must understand both team strategy and individual actions. A single match can include hundreds of moments that need to be reviewed, such as tackles, rucks, carries, kicks, lineouts, scrums, defensive reads, and attacking decisions.
Oli May’s MSc pathway gave him the opportunity to combine classroom learning with professional experience. His placement with England Rugby was especially valuable because it placed him inside one of the most demanding rugby environments in the world.
Learning Through an RFU Placement
One of the most important parts of Oli May’s development was his studentship and placement with the Rugby Football Union. During the pandemic period, he completed work with the England Rugby Senior Men’s team remotely. This was a challenging way to enter elite sport because normal in-person learning, camp access, and daily contact with staff were restricted.
However, remote analysis also showed how technology had become central to performance work. Analysts could still code footage, share clips, prepare reviews, and support staff without always being physically present. Oli May’s experience during this period helped him build independence, adaptability, and confidence in a professional setting.
Career at England Rugby and the RFU
Data and Video Co-ordinator Role
After graduating, Oli May was offered a full-time role with the RFU as a data and video co-ordinator. This was a major step in his career because full-time roles in elite national sport are highly competitive. Many young analysts complete internships or placements, but only a smaller number move into permanent positions with major organisations.
A data and video co-ordinator role usually involves managing match footage, collecting performance data, preparing video clips, and supporting the analysis department. In rugby, this work can be intense because matches and training sessions produce a large amount of information. Analysts must be fast, accurate, and able to deliver useful material under pressure.
During tournament periods, analysis work can become even more demanding. Teams need opposition previews before matches, training reviews between sessions, and post-match analysis after games. Oli May’s reported responsibilities included work on opposition previews, training analysis, and match analysis. These areas are central to elite rugby preparation.
Performance Data Analyst Profile
A public professional profile has also listed Oli May as a Performance Data Analyst with England Rugby. This title reflects the growing importance of data in rugby performance environments. A performance data analyst may work with match event data, statistical trends, video-supported evidence, and visual reporting tools.
The aim is not to overwhelm coaches with numbers. The aim is to find useful information that can help a team make better decisions. For example, an analyst may identify how an opponent exits from their own half, how often a team attacks from lineout ball, where defensive pressure is being lost, or which patterns appear before scoring opportunities.
What Does Oli May Do in Rugby Analysis?
Match Analysis
Match analysis involves reviewing games in detail and breaking them into meaningful sections. In rugby, this may include attacking phases, defensive systems, kicking strategy, breakdown efficiency, set-piece success, discipline, territory, possession, and scoring patterns. Analysts use software to tag events and create clips that coaches can review with players.
Training Analysis
Training analysis helps teams understand whether training sessions are matching performance goals. Analysts may record drills, review decision-making, and provide clips that show whether players are applying the team’s tactical plan. This can help coaches adjust sessions and improve learning.
Opposition Analysis
Opposition analysis is a key part of preparation. Analysts study upcoming opponents to identify strengths, weaknesses, repeated patterns, and possible opportunities. This work can influence game plans, selection discussions, and tactical focus during the week.
Communication With Coaches and Players
A good analyst must be able to simplify complex information. Coaches and players often do not need every number. They need the right information at the right time. This means Oli May’s type of role requires both technical ability and clear communication.
Skills and Expertise
Technical Skills
Oli May’s work likely involves video coding, data collection, software use, database handling, and visual presentation. These are standard skills in elite performance analysis. Accuracy is essential because wrong coding or poor organisation can lead to misleading conclusions.
Rugby Knowledge
Rugby analysis requires a detailed understanding of the game. Analysts must understand formations, contact areas, kicking choices, defensive line speed, set-piece structure, and tactical momentum. Without rugby knowledge, raw data can be misunderstood.
Attention to Detail
Elite sport is decided by small margins. One missed defensive read, one poor exit, or one repeated opposition pattern can affect a match. Analysts must notice details that others may miss.
Pressure Management
In international rugby, analysis work often happens quickly. Coaches may need information soon after a game or before a training session. Analysts must work calmly under time pressure and still maintain accuracy.
Oli May Age
Oli May’s exact age is not publicly confirmed through reliable sources. Some online articles may try to estimate his age based on his education and career timeline, but those estimates should not be treated as fact. Since no official date of birth is publicly available, the most accurate statement is that Oli May’s age has not been publicly disclosed.
Oli May Family
There is no verified public information about Oli May’s family, parents, siblings, relationship status, or personal home life. Because he is known mainly for his professional role rather than celebrity status, this information has not been widely published. Any article claiming detailed family facts without a reliable source should be treated carefully.
Oli May Net Worth
Oli May’s net worth is not publicly available. There is no verified financial record or official statement confirming his personal wealth. While performance analysis roles in elite sport are professional positions, exact salaries vary depending on experience, responsibility, contract type, and organisation. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to publish a specific net worth figure for Oli May.
Oli May Wikipedia Overview
At present, Oli May does not appear to have a dedicated Wikipedia page. This does not reduce the value of his professional work. Many skilled analysts, coaches, and technical staff in elite sport do not have Wikipedia pages because their roles are usually less public than athletes or head coaches.
A future Wikipedia page would require reliable independent coverage, verified biographical details, and clear notability according to Wikipedia standards. For now, the best way to describe him is as a verified rugby performance analysis professional connected with England Rugby and the RFU.
Quick Info About Oli May
Profile Summary
Name: Oli May
Known For: Rugby performance analysis and sports data work
Professional Area: Data, video, and performance analysis
Associated Organisation: England Rugby / Rugby Football Union
Education: MSc Sport Performance Analysis at Middlesex University
Verified Career Detail: RFU data and video co-ordinator role after graduation
Current Public Profile Title: Performance Data Analyst, England Rugby
Age: Not publicly confirmed
Family Details: Not publicly available
Net Worth: Not publicly verified
Wikipedia Page: No dedicated page currently found
Why Oli May’s Work Matters
Oli May’s career is a good example of how sport has changed. Rugby is still physical, emotional, and tactical, but it is also increasingly analytical. Teams now use data and video to understand performance more deeply. Analysts help connect what happens on the field with what coaches need to teach during the week.
In elite rugby, the difference between winning and losing can be very small. A strong analysis department helps a team prepare better, learn faster, and make smarter tactical decisions. Oli May’s role within this environment shows how valuable behind-the-scenes professionals have become in modern sport.
FAQs About Oli May
Who is Oli May?
Oli May is a rugby performance analysis professional associated with England Rugby and the Rugby Football Union. His work involves data, video, and performance analysis.
What is Oli May known for?
He is known for his work in rugby analysis, including a verified RFU data and video co-ordinator role and a public professional profile listing him as a Performance Data Analyst with England Rugby.
Did Oli May study at Middlesex University?
Yes. Public information confirms that Oli May studied MSc Sport Performance Analysis at Middlesex University and completed an RFU-related placement alongside his studies.
What does Oli May do at England Rugby?
His work is connected with performance data, video analysis, match review, training analysis, and opposition preparation.
How old is Oli May?
His exact age has not been publicly confirmed.
Is Oli May’s family information available?
No verified public information is available about his family background.
What is Oli May’s net worth?
His net worth has not been publicly disclosed, and any exact figure would be speculative.
Does Oli May have a Wikipedia page?
No dedicated Wikipedia page for Oli May is currently found.
Conclusion
Oli May is an emerging professional figure in rugby performance analysis, best known for his association with England Rugby and the RFU. His verified background includes MSc Sport Performance Analysis at Middlesex University, a remote placement with the England Rugby Senior Men’s team, and a full-time RFU data and video co-ordinator role after graduation.
Although public information about his age, family, and net worth is limited, his professional story is clear enough to show a serious career built around rugby, technology, and performance improvement. Oli May represents the modern analyst’s role in elite sport: detailed, disciplined, data-driven, and essential to how top rugby teams prepare and compete.




