Thesis (MScSportSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With the introduction of professionalism in 1995, rugby union has rapidly and continuously changed. One such change was the introduction of several law changes after the 2007 Rugby World Cup to increase the appeal, continuity and safety of the game. Research on the effects of these law changes has primarily focused on the technical and tactical aspects of the game and very little on the changes to the physical profile of match play, particularly in a South African context. The first objective of this study was to compare the 2007 and 2013 seasons of the South African Currie Cup tournament in order to determine whether there were any effects as a result of the law changes on the scoring, time interval, general skills and contact profiles. The second objective was to compare the 2007 and 2013 seasons of the South African Currie Cup tournament in order to determine the impact of the law changes on the time variables. This thesis will follow a research article format. Research article one will address the first objective of the study. The first major finding of the study was that the profile of the game has changed to a more physical and continuous game. There was an increase in the number of player actions (passing, tackling and rucks/mauls) (p < 0.01), as well as significantly more penalty goals (p < 0.01). The results further revealed that fewer tries were scored (p = 0.07), while the number of stoppages to the game, scrums and line-outs also showed a decrease (p < 0.01). These findings, mentioned above, were more prominent in the second half of the match. A trend revealed that teams were adopting a more defensive playing style, whereby they sacrificed committing numbers to the breakdowns and rather commit players on defence. This has created a more physically intense match with fewer tries being scored. The second research article will address the second objective of the study. Results of the study show that the profile of the game has changed to a more dynamic, continuous game with less time spent in rucks/mauls and fewer set pieces (scrums and line-outs). The duration of the match has increased owing to an increase in total stoppage time, mainly as a result of greater use being made of the TMO. This is evident in the significant increase in total match time (p < 0.01) and total stoppage time (p < 0.01), while the total ball-in-play time was significantly less (p < 0.01). The total tackle time has increased significantly (p < 0.01), while the total ruck/maul, scrum and line-out time decreased significantly (p < 0.01). By analysing the match profile, as with this thesis, coaches and trainers will be better informed to develop training programmes that are specific to the demands of modern match play. Based on the results, coaches and trainers should develop individual and team performance profiles to better understand the physical demands experienced by the players and teams, which will assist in implementing more specific recovery strategies and planning of training loads. The conditioning and skills development of players should focus primarily on contact situations (tackling and rucking) by adding contact elements to agility training and skill-based drills. With the various contact times measured, trainers can determine specific durations of muscle tension needed to overload and strengthen players by adjusting the movements of an exercise. These applications will allow coaches and trainers to prepare players for the specific demands of the modern game. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert die begin van professionalisme in rugby in 1995 het die spel vinnig en aanhoudend verander. Een van hierdie veranderinge was die instelling van verskeie reëlveranderings ná die 2007 Rugby Wêreldbekertoernooi om die aantreklikheid, kontinuïteit en veiligheid van die spel te verhoog. Navorsing wat die uitwerking van hierdie reëlveranderings ondersoek het, het veral gefokus op die tegniese en taktiese aspekte van die spel en baie min op die veranderinge in die fisieke profiel van wedstrydspel, veral in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die eerste doelwit van die studie was om die 2007 en 2013 seisoen van die Suid-Afrikaanse Curriebekertoernooi te vergelyk om te bepaal wat die uitwerking van die reëlveranderings op die aanteken van punte, tydsinterval, algemene vaardighede en kontakprofiele was. Die tweede doelwit was om die 2007 en 2013 seisoen van die Suid-Afrikaanse Curriebekertoernooi te vergelyk om die impak van die reëlveranderings op tydveranderlikes te bepaal. Hierdie tesis is saamgestel volgens ‘n artikelgebaseerde formaat. Navorsingsartikel een spreek die eerste doelwit van die studie aan. Die eerste hoofbevinding van die studie was dat die spel verander het na ‘n meer fisieke, aaneenlopende tipe spel, met ‘n toename in speler-aksies (aangeë, laagvatte, losskrums en losgemale) en ‘n afname in die aantal kere wat die spel gestop het, veral in die tweede helfte. Daar was ‘n toename in die aantal speler-aksies (aangeë, laagvatte, losskrums en losgemale) (p < 0.01), sowel as beduidend meer strafskoppe (p < 0.01). Resultate het verder gewys dat minder drieë gedruk is (p = 0.07), terwyl die aantal kere wat die spel gestop het, en skrums en lynstane ook verminder het (p < 0.01). Die bevindings soos hierbo uiteengesit, was meer prominent in die tweede helfte van ‘n wedstryd. Daar was ‘n neiging dat spanne ‘n meer verdedigende speelstyl aangeneem het, waar hulle verkies het om spelers op verdedigend te plaas as om meer spelers by die afbreekpunte te hê. Dit het ‘n wedstryd geskep wat fisiek meer intens was met minder drieë wat gedruk is. Die tweede navorsingsartikel het die tweede doelwit van die studie aangespreek. Resultate van die studie het aangedui dat die profiel van die spel verander het na ‘n meer dinamiese, aaneenlopende spel met ‘n afname in die tyd wat aan losskrums/losgemale bestee word, met minder vaste spel (skrums en lynstane). Die duur van die wedstryd het toegeneem as gevolg van ‘n toename in die totale stoptyd, veral as gevolg van die gebruik van die TMO. Dit blyk uit die beduidende toename in totale wedstrydtyd (p < 0.01) en totale stoptyd (p < 0.01), terwyl die totale tyd wat die bal in spel was, betekenisvol afgeneem het (p < 0.01). Die totale laagvattyd het beduidend toegeneem (p < 0.01), terwyl die totale losskrum-/losgemaal-, skrum- en lynstaantyd betekenisvol afgeneem het (p < 0.01). Deur die wedstrydprofiel te ontleed, kan afrigters hul oefenprogram aanpas om aan die spesifieke vereistes van wedstrydspel te voldoen. Afrigters behoort profiele van individuele en spanprestasie te ontwikkel wat op die resultate gegrond is ten einde ‘n beter begrip te verkry van die fisieke eise waaraan die spelers en spanne onderwerp word. Dit sal help met die implementering van spesieke herstelstrategieë en die beplanning van oefenladings. Die kondisionering en vaardigheidsontwikkeling van spelers behoort hoofsaaklik toegespits te word op kontaksituasies (laagvatte en losskrums) deur kontakelemente by ratsheids- en vaardigheidsoefeninge te voeg. Deur die meting van die verskillende kontaktye kan afrigters die spesifieke duur van spierspanning bepaal wat nodig is om spelers sterker te maak, en die bewegings van ‘n oefening daarvolgens aanpas. Hierdie toepassings sal afrigters in staat stel om spelers vir die bepaalde eise van die moderne spel voor te berei.

Quality of Service is major factor for a successful business in modern and future network services. A minimum level of services is assured indulging quality of Experience for modern real time communication introducing user satisfaction with perceived service quality. Traffic engineering can be applied to provide better services to maintain or enhance user satisfaction through reactive and preventive traffic control mechanisms. Preventive traffic control can be more effective to manage the network resources through admission control, scheduling, policing and traffic shaping mechanisms maintaining a minimum level before it get worse and affect user perception. Accuracy, dynamicity, uniformity and reproducibility are objectives of vast research in network traffic. Real time tests, simulation and network emulation are applied to test uniformity, accuracy, reproducibility and dynamicity. Network Emulation is performed over experimental network to test real time application, protocol and traffic parameters. DummyNet is a network emulator and traffic shaper which allows nondeterministic placement of packet losses, delays and bandwidth changes. KauNet shaper is a network emulator which creates traffic patterns and applies these patterns for exact deterministic placement of bit-errors, packet losses, delay changes and bandwidth changes. An evaluation of KauNet with different patterns for packet losses, delay changes and bandwidth changes on emulated environment is part of this work. The main motivation for this work is to check the possibility to delay and drop the packets of a transfer/session in the same way as it has happened before (during the observation period). This goal is achieved to some extent using KauNet but some issues with pattern repetitions are still needed to be solved to get better results. The idea of history and trace-based traffic shaping using KauNet is given to make this possibility a reality.