RBS 6 Nations, commonly referred to as “rugby’s greatest championship,” is one of the sport’s most important annual events. Despite its history and notoriety, the tournament has not rested on its laurels. In 2012, RBS 6 Nations began a partnership with Accenture to bring innovative digital solutions to fans.
This year Accenture decided to take its rugby-focused innovations to the next level by introducing a brand new mixed reality experience. Using cutting edge technologies, the Accenture Innovation Programme in London developed what it is calling a “cinematic, full body mixed reality experience that extends virtual reality from the individual to a wider audience.” In the demo, fans put on an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and are instantly exposed to a range of immersive experiences.
Using well-known rugby personalities such as 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Ben Kay, the demo follows a cinematic storyline, complete with behind the scenes access to real-world stadia. Fans are able to experience an athlete’s day firsthand, seeing point of view shots everywhere from the changing room to the pitch. Users are even able to attempt penalty kicks in the virtual world using a game controller.
It’s been great to help a few captains #Seebeyond with our mixed reality and analytics experience at today’s #RBS6Nations launch. pic.twitter.com/qtJq4dScCz
— Accenture Rugby (@AccentureRugby) January 25, 2017
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Although the experience within the Oculus Rift is single player, the demo becomes social using a set of green screens that surround the user. Everything the individual experiences in VR is broadcast to onlookers on a set of television screens, which add the user into the scene. This contextualized, live-action video is what creates the mixed reality experience and melds the physical and digital worlds.
Ultimately the demo was designed, in large part, to highlight the analytics work Accenture has generated. Over the past four years, this partnership has produced a variety of significant results for the tournament, including the official Championship mobile app, which claims over 3.9 million downloads from over 200 countries.
Within this mixed reality experience, fans are able to see advanced data visualizations as well as team-level analytics.
Regarding the new demo, Nick Mallet, former head coach of the Italian rugby team and current Accenture analyst stated, “Digital technologies are creating incredibly exciting experiences for fans, players and coaches alike. Virtual reality, for example, means fans can see what players see – a completely new perspective on the sport they love.”