Technology

Posted on May 18, 2018 by staff

Jazzing up Premiership Rugby matchdays with tech

Technology

Fans of Gloucester Rugby are in for a treat as a digital makeover is set to transform the matchday experience at the Kingsholm stadium.

A new fan experience mobile app will feature half-time quizzes, children’s games and a range of live audio feeds to enhance what’s going on in the game.

Fans can also pre-order food and drinks, see rewards and offers, join debates and discussions, vote for Man of the Match, view the fans’ gallery of pictures and access exclusive content.

The Premiership Rugby club has partnered with digital infrastructure specialists Landways and agency Clock to deliver the new experience.

Landways, which is backed by Columbia Capital, has commissioned a new high-capacity Wi-Fi network at Kingsholm.

Based upon a series of technical innovations, the underlying infrastructure within and to the stadium will be future-proofed and be able to cope with several generations of data growth, network upgrades and new digital services.

“We are firmly in a digital world and part of the ‘future proofing’ of the club going forward is to ensure we are at the forefront of technology that allows us to give everybody that visits Kingsholm stadium not only fast connectivity but also gives us the ability to engage our audiences better,” said Gloucester Rugby CEO Stephen Vaughan.

“The app will allow visitors to Kingsholm to access high speed Wi-fi and a range of services designed to improve the experience on a match day.

“We are delighted to be partnering with both Landways and Clock to help provide a more connected environment for our fans.”

The partnership of Clock with Landways has been described as “transformational” for the UK stadium market: the rich digital experiences fans will enjoy are not possible in most stadiums because wireless connectivity in these high-density environments is generally so poor.

“We have deployed a record quantity of optical fibre throughout the stadium, as well as several unique technical designs, to manage the huge forecast growth in demand for wireless data over the next few years,” said Landways chief executive Chris Smedley.

“We will be monitoring the network closely and, as required, working with Gloucester Rugby to install upgrades to ensure that the Wi-Fi system does not run out of capacity and that Kingsholm remains one of the UK’s best-connected sports venues.”

Landways’ expertise in digital infrastructure provides a fibre-based wireless network enabling multiple audio and video streams to be delivered live, connected screens and access and connected food, drink and merchandise.

As part of the fan experience platform, clubs will be able to offer forward-thinking brands many more opportunities than traditional sponsor relationships.

Ben Silcox, chief strategy officer of Clock, said: “We are excited to be bringing to life Gloucester Rugby’s vision for a truly connected stadium and mobile app to make the fan experience easier, richer and more unique than any other rugby club.

“Landways and Clock are investing heavily in this project as a sign of their commitment and belief that Gloucester Rugby fans will benefit from a world class experience.”