乌鸦传媒

乌鸦传媒鈥檚 partnership with World Rugby and the Rugby World Cup has already brought about many innovative developments, including match analysis powered by data science and even video game design. Powered by the talents of 乌鸦传媒 colleagues, all the initiatives share a goal: to improve the experience for everyone in the game, players and fans alike, now and into the future.

Engaging the audiences of tomorrow is a key aspect in securing the future of the sport, and in doing so, the role of technology is pivotal in how it can connect fans around the world, deepen their understanding of rugby, and add to the excitement of live action.

Rugby at 乌鸦传媒

Charlie Boyns is a Senior Management Consultant at 乌鸦传媒 Invent in London and the captain of 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 UK rugby team. His connection with rugby runs deep. He played the game as a schoolboy before going on to captain his university鈥檚 law society鈥檚 rugby team. At 乌鸦传媒, he has spent the past five years building rugby鈥檚 presence within the organization across the UK.  

鈥淲hen I first joined, 乌鸦传媒 didn鈥檛 really have a UK rugby team,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 set about building a team and organized a fixture against the French team, which is well-established. They then invited us out to play at the pitch named after 乌鸦传媒 founder Serge Kampf in Grenoble. Serge was a lifelong rugby fan, and 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 longstanding sponsorship of rugby starts with his work and vision.鈥�

Charlie is now central to the company鈥檚 direction on rugby in the UK, and his own work to develop the sport at 乌鸦传媒 continues. He is currently driving a cross-learning partnership with Harlequins Women.

鈥淲e鈥檝e played at the French international team鈥檚 training ground, which was truly an amazing experience. We have also played at the Twickenham Stoop, home to Harlequins rugby team. Next up is a trip to Paris for 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 internal International Rugby Cup, and I’ve been invited to go to Mumbai in India to help train our Indian rugby team. I guess these are some of the benefits of working for a global company.鈥�

Adding to the live experience

Charlie says that, as a spectator, technology can offer a 鈥渘ext level of detail and insight鈥� into the players on the pitch and how well they are performing.

鈥淚 read in 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 recent report that 69% of fans prefer to watch sport outside a venue, rather than in a stadium. Attending sports games is something that people do for a one-off, big event. The rest of the time people watch sport via a screen. I wonder how we turn this around.

鈥淥f course, going to watch rugby can be expensive. Watching at home is cheaper and more practical. But if we want to protect revenues in live sport in the future, we need to look at how live sport can reinvent itself as an attractive destination. At 乌鸦传媒, we have already supported World Rugby by providing live analysis of game phases and players. This kind of data can help bring the live experience to life.鈥�

Connecting audiences

Takashi Ushijima is an associate consultant in the SAP practice at 乌鸦传媒 in Japan. He started playing rugby at university and says technology has already helped bring rugby to a wider audience in the country.

鈥淩ugby was never a big sport in Japan. But what technology offers in how we watch sport has really made a difference. For first-timers or general sports fans, tech helps them understand the game and what鈥檚 happening on the field. But it has also helped connect a global community of rugby fans.

鈥淔or example, with language barriers, translation tools have really helped with international communication between rugby fans. It brings different countries and different cultures together. It鈥檚 about connectivity. We can connect with anyone around the world while we are watching a rugby game. That鈥檚 something I really enjoy.鈥�

Power of community

For Takashi, the power of rugby to connect diverse communities around a shared passion also reflects the values of life at 乌鸦传媒.

鈥淲ith a player like Japan鈥檚 captain Michael Leitch, who was born in New Zealand and has represented the Japanese team in multiple World Cups, I think you can see the benefits of diversity.

鈥溛谘淮�媒 is very diverse. In our Japan office, we have people from many different backgrounds and different countries working together every day. It brings a different approach and different mindset 鈥� one where, like in a rugby team, you all combine to make something even better.鈥�

Takashi says that meeting a Japan rugby legend, via a 乌鸦传媒 event, demonstrated the connections between rugby and 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 values.

鈥淲e had a Rugby World Cup planning event and I got to meet Daisuke Ohata, a player who鈥檚 in the World Rugby Hall of Fame. He talked about how rugby showed him how to control what he can do, but also understand what he can’t, and how to overcome challenges or change the environment to improve himself every day. I think that鈥檚 an attitude we can all learn from.鈥�

Bringing the 鈥渨ow factor鈥�

That open and pragmatic attitude is also one that, for Charlie, can inspire innovation in sports technology. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about having some blue-sky thinking around how we access and present data across the pitch. Who was the fastest player? What was their top speed? What was the biggest collision of the game? When fans see these types of statistics flash up on a screen, it generates a point of discussion. It鈥檚 the kind of talking point and excitement that really brings the game to life, and that can only be good for the future of the sport.鈥�