When Technology Wins: Ricoh explores the future of rugby

Ricoh has today released their third and final video in The Business of Rugby series. The campaign investigates the latest business thinking and strategies the twelve Premiership Rugby clubs are utilizing as well as the innovations and new technologies they are investing in to ensure success both on and off the pitch. ‘When Technology Wins’ video focuses on the future of rugby and examines the role technology will continue to play in development of the game.

Throughout the Business of Rugby series, it’s become evident that technology is already a massive part of any Premiership Rugby club and is hugely influential in terms of their training regimes, game strategy and overall team performance.  It’s essential for clubs to continue adopting and embracing the right technology to ensure they remain competitive and do not fall behind.  After all, one small insight or marginal gain could make all the difference in a Premiership Rugby Final or relegation battle. 

Much has been said about the ‘popular’ technologies used within Premiership Rugby, such as the drones and GPS trackers, to name just a few.  In the latest campaign video, Ricoh brand ambassador Ben Kay visits the Sports Technology Institute at Loughborough University to explore some of the subtler technological advances which are impacting the game. Ball, kit and surface technology, although far less well known, are vital factors in the ongoing research, along with innovations around player welfare and health, which are offering new insight into ways to continue making the game safe for those playing it.

Andy Harland, Professor of Sports Technology, Loughborough University, says “Technology is playing a massive part in sport and whether people realize that or see it for themselves, the hidden effects of technology are huge. If you think about sport in the future, in ten years’ time, I think it’s impossible to imagine sport without technology. We are really excited about the role sport can play in embracing technology, perhaps even in advance of society in general.”

Ben Kay, Ricoh ambassador, commented, “It’s very exciting for me to be part of a campaign that is exploring the very forefront of technological advancement and going behind the scenes to investigate how these new innovations will benefit the game and keep it moving forward. 

Based on the new technologies I have witnessed and the extremely dedicated and talented people behind them continually driving new ideas and concepts, fans can be rest assured that the future of Premiership Rugby is going to be very entertaining.” 

Chas Moloney, Marketing Director for Ricoh UK & Ireland, added “For businesses and organizations to stay competitive and grow within their marketplace they must invest in and adapt to new technologies. At Ricoh, we do not shy away from innovation and continue to inspire new ideas and embrace change through the use of technology; transforming our customer’s businesses to ensure future success. 

So for us, it’s fascinating and extremely encouraging to see Premiership Rugby clubs and leading universities doing to the same, to ensure the game of rugby continues to develop over time and push the boundaries of what is possible on and off the pitch.”

To view the ‘When Technology Win’s video and for further information about the campaign please visit www.rugby.ricoh.co.uk or follow @imaginechangeuk #thebusinessofrugby.

|About Premiership Rugby|

Premiership Rugby is the organisation which manages the top league in English club rugby – Aviva Premiership Rugby.

It acts for its shareholder clubs in all major commercial and strategic negotiations with media and sponsorship partners of the league, as well as with other rugby governing bodies.

Premiership Rugby is also responsible for key areas of governance of the top flight competitions, including the Salary Cap Framework, Minimum Standards Criteria and Code of Conduct, as well as managing the Aviva Premiership Rugby competition, Premiership Rugby 7s and the Anglo-Welsh Cup, all of which are televised live exclusively by BT Sport.

Partners for the 2017-18 season are: Aviva, BT Sport, Channel 5, Land Rover, Ricoh, Citizen, Gilbert and The Times. 

Premiership Rugby runs more than 90 local and national community rugby programmes. Each season Premiership Rugby and its clubs, working together with our players, coaches and impressive list of private, public and third sector partners, invest over £3.3million in a variety of community programmes under the Play and BreakThru campaigns which aim to grow grassroots participation and tackle core issues.