Amlin, title partner of the Amlin Challenge Cup and premium partner of Heineken Cup, last season entered into an official partnership with ERC and Opta to create the 'Amlin Opta Index'. The Amlin Opta Index is rugby union's first ever analysis of this type and objectively compares the performance of players competing in the Amlin Challenge Cup and Heineken Cup.

Leinster's Sean O'Brien emerged as the Amlin Opta Index leader in 2010/11 and was
seperatly named ERC European Player of the Year.

How it works

The Amlin Opta Index methodology has been developed to accurately and objectively analyse rugby matches:

Stage 1: On a round by round basis, all games across both ERC's tournaments are analysed using a post-match system that provides detailed statistical and individual scoring information. Each individual action (e.g. try, missed tackle, offload, break) is then given a points value depending on the relative importance of the action. Points are weighted against the time in the game that the event took place, the match score at the time and the position on the pitch.

Stage 2: Due to the varying levels of teams competing (particularly in the pool stages), the Amlin Opta Index is also driven by a team co-efficient which factors team and player strength into the analysis.

The co-efficient is based on any team's previous results as well as its current domestic league position. If, for example, a team has a low rating and is beaten convincingly by a stronger team, all players' scores on the winning team would be calculated relative to the strength of the opposition and adjusted accordingly.

This allows a unique method of objectively analyzing elite European club rugby to be presented as a fair and accurate reflection of player performance.