Amid a swell of calls for rugby to advance and find fresh methods to attract new followers, BT and EE may be on the verge of a tech-inspired revolution for the sport.
The telecom titans have teamed up to produce the 5G -enabled Edge-XR experience, which has major potential in rugby but also promises to revolutionise the way we view football, boxing, MotoGP and more. Though still in its prototype phase, the rugby applications would allow a spectator to use their smartphone or tablet as a means of viewing any compatible match through a different lens.
Using the Edge-XR function, fans will have access to a host of added information via a real-time overlay, giving information on metres gained, carrying speed and ball trajectory, to name a few benefits. Player tags will also make it easier to identify who's who from the stands, not to mention general match statistics, replays and alternative camera angles from the stadium in which a fan is viewing.
Gilbert—the official Rugby World Cup ball supplier—have partnered with software company Sportable to produce the world's first 'smart rugby ball'. Already in use among some of rugby's top competitions, the ball can help track minute changes in direction and distance, which allows it to help makes decisions on forward passes or whether a player is offside.
Supporters watching from their homes or in bars already have access to some of this information, but BT and EE's aim is to transition that experience into the hands of those attending games in person.
"That's a really good use [of Sportable's smart ball], because it's the easier use," Martin Trimby—BT's principal user-experience designer—told Mirror Sport while demonstrating the Edge-XR technology at Saracens ' StoneX Stadium, referring to the television functions already available.
Do you think the mixed-reality experience would make you more likely to attend games? Let us know in the comments section.
"Trying to put it into a handheld experience—really, really difficult. And that's where we're pushing the edges. That's why it's five to 10 years [away from being rolled out at games]."
Sportable already have partnerships with Super Rugby and the National Rugby League (NRL), with the possibility that European hubs like the Premiership and United Rugby Championship will follow. Aside from the viewership experience, the technology could also help referees make more precise decisions, such as being able to know exactly where a ball was kicked into touch, rather than officials making a rough estimate.
As for the fans, those viewing the game in person may soon have access to live statistics and information they would otherwise go without. The Edge-XR development has been aided by support from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), which hopes to increase the technical capabilities of 5G in the United Kingdom.
Many in and around sport consider 5G a crucial tool in the immediate future of broadcast. Jamie Hindhaugh, BT Sport's chief operating officer, said the innovation will play an important role in "re-imagining how sport is watched both at stadia and via television.”
Rugby could do with an injection of new-age thinking in order to increase popularity among mainstream fans. One year after purchasing a 14 per cent stake in the Six Nations for £365million, private equity firm CVC brought changing-room cameras back into the competition in a bid to boost its appeal.
England and Saracens star Maro Itoje recently pointed to the Super Bowl half-time show as an example of how sport can be enhanced, saying it would be "amazing if somehow that could be replicated in rugby."
"It was a spectacle," he added after watching the likes of Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J Blige and Snoop Dogg perform midway through the Los Angeles Rams ' win over the Cincinnati Bengals. "A lot of people are talking about how great the match was but the half-time show has brought a lot of eyes to the Super Bowl so it’s mutually beneficial."
Rugby may struggle to attract superstars of that magnitude for the time being—particularly as Super Bowl performers tend to do so for free—but the capabilities for a live, mixed-reality experience may not be far away.
EE and BT Sport have unveiled new ways to watch and experience live sport at home, in school and at stadia using the power of 5G technology. To find out more visit: https://www.bt.com/sport/features/ee-bt-reveal-new-ways-to-watch-sports-and-the-performing-arts
