Tag: stakes

How Technology Is Changing Rugby in 2026

From the data vest worn under a player’s jersey to the bunker review that can overturn a referee’s call, technology is reshaping how rugby is coached, officiated, and how players are kept safe, with the Rugby World Cup in Australia next year adding urgency to every decision.

Smart Mouthguards: A Turning Point for Player Welfare

World Rugby mandated the Prevent Biometrics instrumented mouthguard across all elite competition from January 2024, backing the rollout with €2 million. 

Transmitting impact data via Bluetooth to a pitchside doctor, the device triggers a Head Injury Assessment when a collision exceeds a set g-force threshold. 

A newer version with LED lights debuted at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup and is confirmed for the men’s Rugby Championship ahead of RWC27, representing a significant step forward in real-time concussion identification.

GPS Tracking: The Data Behind Every Metre

The GPS vest has become standard kit at elite level, with devices from providers like STATSports and Catapult tracking distance, speed zones, and collision counts in real time. 

The data is position-specific, meaning backs and forwards are managed on different conditioning programmes, with AI now used to refine individual training loads further. 

Platforms like Vodafone’s PLAYER.Connect pull GPS, heart rate, and biometric data into a single coaching dashboard, and by the time squads assemble for Australia, performance staff will have years of granular player data to draw on.

Referee Technology: Progress With Caveats

The Foul Play Review Officer process and TMO system give referees access to multiple camera angles and a dedicated bunker team, allowing decisions on foul play, try awards, and card upgrades to be reviewed with a level of scrutiny impossible in real time. 

The 2026 Six Nations largely demonstrated the system working as intended, though the closing stages of France’s title-winning 48-46 victory over England drew criticism after the TMO was accused of intervening outside its permitted scope. 

World Rugby has since appointed an independent panel with a July deadline to resolve questions about protocol consistency and referee authority during reviews before Australia.

The Stakes

Rugby in 2026 finds itself better equipped than ever to protect players and improve decision-making, but the sport is still resolving where the boundaries of technological intervention should lie. With the World Cup less than a year away, the pressure to get that balance right has never been greater.

Gen Z is coaching older colleagues to use AI

A new global study from International Workplace Group (IWG), the world’s largest platform for work and provider of flexible workspace, reveals that Gen Z employees are playing a pivotal role in driving AI adoption across the workforce, coaching older colleagues to help unlock productivity and collaboration gains in hybrid working environments.
The study, based on a survey of over 2,000 professionals across the US and UK, shows that AI is becoming a cornerstone of how teams and in particular hybrid teams operate. 80% of workers have experimented with AI tools, and 78% say it has saved them time, averaging 55 minutes of saved time per day, equivalent to almost an extra full working day per week.
Workers report that this time is being reallocated to higher-value activities such as creative or strategic work (41%), learning and development (41%), in-person collaboration (40%), and networking (35%). An overwhelming 86% say AI has helped them complete tasks more efficiently, and 76% report that it is directly accelerating their career advancement, with this figure rising to 87% among Gen Z workers.
Cross-generational collaboration key to unlocking AI gains
Cross-generational collaboration is central to this transformation. Nearly two-thirds (59%) of younger employees are actively helping older, more tenured colleagues adopt and learn to use AI tools, with 80% of Senior Directors reporting that this support lets them focus on higher-value tasks, while 82% of Senior Directors report that AI innovations introduced by younger colleagues have unlocked new business opportunities.
Two-thirds of C-suite leaders say younger staff’s AI skills have improved their department’s productivity, and over 80% of senior directors believe AI innovations introduced by junior colleagues have opened up new business opportunities.
Overall, 86% of those surveyed report AI has made them more efficient, and 76% believe it is advancing their career, rising to 87% among Gen Z respondents. AI’s influence on collaboration is also clear: 69% of hybrid workers say it is making teamwork across locations easier, citing benefits such as improved meeting preparation (46%), access to shared insights (36%), and stronger post-meeting follow-ups (36%).
Workers are embracing AI’s potential to eliminate time-consuming administrative tasks. The most common areas where employees want AI to step in include drafting emails (43%), taking and summarising meeting notes (42%), organising files (36%), and completing data entry or forms (36%). With these tasks automated, employees are reallocating time to more meaningful work: 55% are now focusing on high-impact projects, 54% are pursuing professional development, and 40% are using the time to build stronger relationships with colleagues and clients or to invest in personal well-being.
Benefits for hybrid workers
The study also found that 69% of hybrid workers say AI is making it easier to collaborate with colleagues across locations. Improvements in meeting preparation (46%), access to shared insights (36%), and more effective follow-ups (36%) are streamlining teamwork, while 40% say AI has freed up time to invest in team-building and communication.
In the hybrid model, AI is also reshaping how office time is used. With automation handling routine work, hybrid professionals now prioritise strategic thinking (41%), learning and development (41%), face-to-face collaboration (40%), and networking (35%) during in-office days. More than half of workers (53%) say AI is helping them achieve better outcomes, and 64% believe it is making hybrid working smoother and more effective.
Workers are aware of the stakes. Two-thirds (63%) worry that not learning AI tools could slow their career progression, and 61% believe those who don’t adopt AI risk being left behind. Yet the trend is toward inclusive, shared upskilling: 51% of employees say AI is helping bridge generational divides, and over half regularly share AI knowledge with colleagues, rising to 66% among 25–34-year-olds.
Mark Dixon, Founder and CEO of IWG, said: “The world of work is evolving rapidly. Advances in technology, particularly in AI are boosting productivity, opening up new career opportunities, and connecting different generations of expertise.
These significant AI enabled productivity gains are helping to create more connected, agile teams ready for the future of work. Younger generations are playing a pivotal role by sharing their digital skills with their  colleagues, which enhances performance and uncovers new business opportunities.”