Founder Thomas Martin discusses rugby innovation, design, and the future of VITOOL with RugbyPass.


Many within the rugby fraternity will already know Tom Martin as a back-rower who cracked the Waikato NPC team in their 2021 premiership-winning season, having earlier gained selection for New Zealand Secondary Schools.

But these days the Hamilton 24-year-old is quickly becoming more universally renowned as a thinker, inventor and entrepreneur after creating and marketing “VITOOL,” the world’s first multi-tool specifically designed for rugby and football players.

Pocket-sized Vitool provides essential tools to address various challenges players may encounter before, during, and after training or playing. It features three different-sized sprig tighteners, a safety blade for cutting strapping tape, a flick-out sprig hole cleaner, a tap key, an ice breaker, a bottle opener, and a spring clip.

An early prototype was shortlisted for the 2022 New Zealand Best Design Awards....

Click the link to read the full article! Martin explained to RugbyPass how Vitool was born at Victoria University (Wellington) in 2022. - https://www.rugbypass.com/news/injury-breeds-opportunity-for-waikato-entrepreneur/