A partnership deal has resulted in more than 180 Wattbikes being supplied to all stadiums and training venues at this year's Rugby World Cup.

The tournament, which kicked off on 20 September, is being hosted by Japan – the first time the competition has been held in Asia.

Wattbikes will be supplied to all teams at their training venues and will also be available at the match venues.

According to former England legend Graham Rowntree – who is currently the forwards coach for Georgia – the bikes will play an important role in keeping the teams fit, aid recovery, as well as sustain performance throughout the tournament.

"The Wattbike is such an important fitness tool and an essential one for us to have access to during the tournament," Rowntree said.

"I believe that for elite players, it is one of the most influential pieces of training equipment out there.

"Rugby is all about repeat power outputs, and being able to hold that intensity right through to the last minutes of the game, and the most effective way of training for this is using the Wattbike.”

Depending on the specific demands of the players' role within the team, the coaches will set very different Wattbike workouts as part of their overall conditioning programme. As well as testing maximum power output, the Wattbike forms a crucial part of rugby strength and conditioning training programmes, with players using the bike for rehabilitation, recovery and key aerobic and anaerobic training.

Paul Stridgeon, Wales Rugby head of performance, added: “For us to have access to Wattbikes at all our training and playing venues is fantastic for our preparation.

"We use Wattbikes extensively at our National Centre of Excellence and always take them with us when we travel as a team.”