Capgemini previews innovation solutions that redefine the fan experience for World Rugby at Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco

Paris, July 20, 2018 – Capgemini previewed today, on the eve of the Rugby World Cup Sevens weekend in San Francisco, a series of new digital products to help World Rugby redefine the fan experience. The new solutions were created as a result of Capgemini’s Global Innovation Partner to World Rugby status, announced at the beginning of 2018. The products – Match Predictor game, Live Match Tracker and Digital Stats Hub – each apply Data Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning to create deeper insights for fans, media, teams, players and officials. They were conceptualized, developed and refined over the course of the 2018 Sevens Series by Capgemini’s Applied Innovation Exchange (AIE)[1] and Insights & Data teams. The products will be utilized throughout the Rugby World Cup Sevens weekend and rolled out to benefit rugby sevens fans, commentators and officials next season.

Capgemini’s team of data scientists from its Insights & Data practice along with Applied Innovation experts, worked closely with World Rugby on the collection and access to data. By applying AI and Machine learning to connect related data points, deeper insights into the game were created. These insights were then tailored to deliver a personal experience for media, fans, team players and officials.

World Rugby Chief Executive Brett Gosper said: “The stage is set for the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 to break new ground on and off the pitch. Working in collaboration with our Global Innovation Partner Capgemini the event will see new innovations in fan engagement to bring the digital and in stadium audience closer than ever before to the speed, skill and excitement of rugby sevens. As a global capital of innovation San Francisco provides the perfect destination to unveil these pioneering developments designed to enhance the fan experience, which will be rolled out across World Rugby events next season.”

The following products are being previewed at Capgemini’s AIE in San Francisco and will also be available to experience throughout the Rugby World Cup Sevens weekend:

• Digital Stats Hub is a dashboard that surfaces player and team insights. Commentators can receive a digital output in real time to quickly compare the history of each head-to-head match and display the most relevant data. Metrics and insights include analysis of individual teams and players, comparison of teams head-to-head, as well as numbers of tackles, tries, and more. This digital tool is now being used by the media and will soon be available to the broader fan base.
• Live Match Tracker enables users to track the key moments of each game in real time and see how the Capgemini Bot predicts the final outcome. It provides live updates of each match as it progresses, a particular challenge with a game as fast-paced and dynamic as Rugby Sevens. The Capgemini Bot generates a prediction of the results at the starting whistle that can then be compared to the actual match. This is available for media and commentators to view on the Digital Stats Hub.
• Match Predictor game is an application that offers a new level of interaction with the competition. It allows fans to select their expected winners and margin of victory for every game as part of a simple league. Users can pitch their knowledge of the game against the Capgemini Bot to see if they can predict the outcomes and score more points than the bot, as well as compare teams head-to-head to see how they’ve performed.

“As Global Innovation Partner to World Rugby, we wanted to bring our extensive experience of putting the customer first for large corporations to the game of Rugby Sevens. Together with World Rugby we established a purpose for changing the way in which both new and existing fans, as well as commentators and the media, engage with the sport,” said Virginie Regis, Marketing and Communications Director and member of the Group Executive Committee at Capgemini. “This season, we have been on an applied innovation journey that has taken us around the world to discover, devise and deploy new insights-led products. We are excited to now be demonstrating the outputs of that creative and iterative process and look forward to delivering an enhanced fan experience next season.”

Earlier this year, Capgemini announced that it is the Official Global Innovation Partner of the Men’s and Women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. This collaboration is built upon the shared values of the two organizations, which includes a mutual interest in and admiration of the sport, and a passion for developing a best-in-class experience for the fans.

For more details on the innovation journey that World Rugby and Capgemini took to redefine the fan experience, visit https://www.capgemini.com/client-story/world-rugby-redefines-the-fan-experience.

About Capgemini

A global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, Capgemini is at the forefront of innovation to address the entire breadth of clients’ opportunities in the evolving world of cloud, digital and platforms. Building on its strong 50-year heritage and deep industry-specific expertise, Capgemini enables organizations to realize their business ambitions through an array of services from strategy to operations. Capgemini is driven by the conviction that the business value of technology comes from and through people. It is a multicultural company of 200,000 team members in over 40 countries. The Group reported 2017 global revenues of EUR 12.8 billion.

Visit us at www.capgemini.com. People matter, results count.

About World Rugby: World Rugby is committed to the global advancement of rugby and its character-building values to build a better, stronger game for all. The global rugby community comprises 9.1 million players and 338 million fans affiliated via 121 national member unions in six regions and driven by the commercial success of Rugby World Cup, World Rugby is investing GBP £266 million at all levels of the game between 2016 and 2019, eclipsing the previous four-year cycle by 38 per cent, to ensure strong and sustainable growth. www.worldrugby.org

[1] Capgemini’s Applied Innovation Exchanges (AIEs) provide a Group-wide capability and global market platform to engage internal and external innovation ecosystems to help clients discover, develop and deploy business and technology innovations for their most critical opportunities and challenges.