Tag: #rugby

BearingPoint leads Leinster Rugby on their Journey into the Metaverse

BearingPoint, the official innovation partner of Leinster Rugby, has today hosted a milestone event showcasing the capabilities of metaverse technology for the Leinster Rugby sporting community. In a multi-location demonstration of BearingPoint’s virtual reality (VR) and innovation capabilities, they have unveiled their shared ambition with Leinster Rugby. The metaverse is a digital environment where you can work, collaborate, meet friends and have fun, and Leinster Rugby is looking to lead the way for the future of sport in this digital world.

Business partners, media and sporting stars were in attendance through virtual reality technology in four locations across Europe including the BearingPoint offices in Dublin, London, and Paris as well as the Leinster Rugby Club facilities in University College Dublin. Showcasing the convergence between the physical and digital worlds through cutting-edge technology, guests at the event entered the metaverse and went on a journey from the BearingPoint offices in Paris and finished with a pitchside experience and presentation in a VR built Aviva Stadium developed by the BearingPoint team.

BearingPoint is planning to play a central role in leveraging its VR expertise to enable Leinster Rugby to further engage its fans through immersive experiences and to explore the wider commercial possibilities and potential this technology has in the sporting world.

Speaking at the launch, Gillian O’Sullivan, Country Leader for BearingPoint Ireland said: “Today we unveiled our plans to lead Leinster Rugby into the metaverse. It is a very exciting day for us as their innovation partner and we are committed to leading them on this journey. The power of virtual reality is enormous, and we wanted to show how this technology can expand businesses and experiences.  What better way to do it than by bringing Leinster Rugby into the metaverse.

BearingPoint’s vision and commitment to leading Leinster Rugby on this journey were set out by their immersive experience expert, Eric Chevallet at the event. Speaking at the launch, Eric Chevallet, Head of Immersive Labs at BearingPoint said, “At BearingPoint, we are an innovative company that is ahead of the curve with regard to metaverse technology and more broadly with virtual reality technology. The potential for businesses in the metaverse is endless, and we are delighted to be working with Ireland’s leading sports franchise making this first move today.”

Kevin Quinn, Head of Commercial and Marketing at Leinster Rugby who attended the event said, “At Leinster Rugby, we’re always striving to improve, to nurture and drive the pursuit of excellence in everything we do both on and off the pitch. This exciting initiative is a significant and strategic business and brand building opportunity for us at Leinster Rugby.”

He added: “By entering the metaverse with BearingPoint’s support, we are broadening our horizons to identify new digital commercial opportunities and working to develop immersive rugby experiences that provide our community with new ways to experience rugby, follow their teams and interact with our brand.”

“We have a passionate, engaged and growing supporter base and we’re excited to work with our innovation partner, BearingPoint, to explore new ways to improve how we communicate and engage with them.”

The event provided valuable learning opportunities for attendees to experience first-hand the benefits and potential of the metaverse. Interest in the metaverse has grown exponentially in the past year which is causing businesses to rethink and change how they can engage more effectively with users online.

Genesys and Connacht Rugby announce sponsorship extension

Genesys, a global cloud leader in customer experience orchestration, has announced its sponsorship with Connacht Rugby is extended for two years, linking the organisations through 2025.

The prime sponsorship includes Genesys branding featured on all Connacht Rugby apparel, as well as matchday shirts and the club’s full retail range.

Genesys will also remain the Principal Partner of the Connacht Women’s team for this extended period. Genesys became the first Title Partner of the Connacht Women in 2020, providing significant support for the growth of the women’s game in Connacht at all levels.

“The values Connacht Rugby display of inclusion and community reflect Genesys’ own deep passion for a healthy lifestyle and sense of community,” said Joe Smyth, senior vice president of Research & Development, Digital and AI at Genesys. “Our roots are firmly established in the West of Ireland thanks to the blossoming tech talent in the region and investments in organisations such as Connacht Rugby who possess the expertise to build strong communities.”

“Genesys is an organisation with huge ambition. They have made a real impact in our community over the years, through their investment in the West of Ireland and the resultant jobs they have created”, said Willie Ruane, CEO of Connacht Rugby. “We’re thrilled to continue our thriving partnership, which continues to present a fantastic opportunity to connect the local community and the wider global rugby audience.”

Following the acquisition of Galway-based AI startup Altocloud in 2018, Genesys has grown its team from 22 staff in Ireland to over 300 as of January 2022. Genesys intends to continue this momentum by hiring more than 100 employees this year, which is a positive reflection of the growing pool of talent available in the West of Ireland. The partnership with Connacht Rugby has been instrumental in helping Genesys establish its brand across Ireland. It also demonstrates Genesys’ ongoing commitment to making investments and creating new jobs in the province

Esri Ireland creates digital map as rugby kicks off this weekend

With the rugby kicking off this weekend and Ireland playing its first match against Wales on Saturday, digital mapping specialist Esri Ireland has mapped the upcoming fixtures for each of the competing countries. Whether tackling a trip overseas or staying on home soil, fans can use the interactive map to find out who is playing who (and when).

See HERE for more

 

Tappit cements place as the leading cashless provider for Rugby 7s with Kinsale deal. #Kinsale #Rugby #Tappit

Tappit, the global payments ecosystem for events, sports stadia and venues, has secured a three-year contract with Heineken Kinsale Rugby 7s in Ireland, cementing its position as the leading cashless provider for the Rugby 7s tournaments around the globe. 

Kinsale Rugby 7s is Ireland’s premier seven-a-side club rugby event taking place on the 2nd and 3rd May 2020 in Kinsale, Ireland. More than 10,000 visitors are expected to watch both men and women’s teams compete across the May bank holiday. 

Tappit’s easy-to-use system will make the event 100 per cent cashless across food vendors, bars and merchandise. Kinsale will also use Tappit for event ticketing, integrating it with Eventbrite and using Tappit’s technology for ticket scanning at the event itself. Organisers will also have access to valuable data to build a better picture of fan behaviour to enhance the experience year-on-year.

This will be the third Rugby 7s event that Tappit has worked with – working with Rugby 7’s across the Middle East and HSBC New Zealand Sevens. 

On the partnership, Jason Thomas CEO, Tappit said: “The Kinsale partnership illustrates that there is a huge appetite for cashless technologies in the sporting sector. The business benefits of working with Tappit are significant for both organisers and fans alike. Not only does Tappit improve the fan experience by reducing queues and making transactions safer and faster, but by equipping organisers with customer insights and data unavailable through any other method, we make it possible for organisers to really understand their audience, improve the experience and make their events even more successful.” 

Kinsale Tournament Director, Philip Stokes said: “After such a successful event last year – scorching sun and great rugby – we were looking for ways to battle down the queue times and improve the overall fan experience. Tappit was the only choice to provide the solution. We have been so impressed with the sleek and rapid integration as well as the professionalism of the staff. We are really looking forward to our fans experiencing an even better 2020 tournament.”

For more information about Tappit, please visit: https://tappit.com/