England have been practicing with a new hi-tech ball that could change rugby overnight.
Eddie Jones’s senior team and the England Sevens, as well as Bath and Leicester Tigers, are among the sides who have been trialling the technology.
How a rugby ball with a chip inside could transform the game for players, coaches, referees and fans. The England team have already run trials…https://t.co/j716UPTwop
— Matt Dickinson (@DickinsonTimes) April 1, 2020
The technology inside is able to help referees resolve forward passes and offside decisions almost instantly.
Sportable chief executive Duguld Macdonald told NS BusinessHub.com: “The high-precision tracking we use is accurate to the nearest centimetre and is embedded in the ball and in devices worn by players.
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“We then superimpose a virtual 3D grid on the field so that the devices recognise when the ball has gone over a certain height or when it has moved forward.”
Sportable’s sensors were also able to record extra information for broadcasters and coaches, like the total distance the ball travelled over 80 minutes, the longest pass thrown and the fastest speeds run by each player.
LIST | 6 internationals you didn’t know were still playing
Below, we have rounded up five internationals that we are certain you will be surprised to learn are still playing.
Did we miss anybody particularly noteworthy? Make sure you let us know in the comments below.
1. Kane Thompson
A real journeyman if there ever was one, Thompson has played for multiple teams around the world including stints in France, New Zealand, Japan, England and now America. The Samoa international had stints at the Highlanders and Chiefs in Super Rugby, as well as six different Mitre 10 Cup sides before rocking up in Major League Rugby to play for New Orleans Gold.
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2. Dave Ward
The Premiership stalwart joined Ampthill’s Championship squad for 2019-20 as Player/Coach. At international level he has represented the England under-18s, under-21s and Saxons.
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3. Mike Tindall
England legend and World Cup winner Mike Tindall plays a selection of matches for Minchinhampton, the club close to his home. The centre played outside centre for Bath and Gloucester, and won 75 caps for England between 2000 and 2011. He was a member of the England squad which won the 2003 World Cup.
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4. Alex Lutui
Lutui is an incredibly well-travelled player, having played in Super Rugby, the Premiership and PRO12 in his career. The hooker racked up 115 points in 181 appearances for Worcester Warriors between 2006-2013, so he certainly knows his way to the try line. Incredibly, the hooker still turns out for Ampthill aged 40.
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5. Patrick Ah Van
The Super League legend, who starred for Bradford Bulls and Widnes Vikings between 2011 and 2018, made a late cross-code switch at the tailend his career, joining Sale FC in National League one. The winger, who played five times for Samoa, is still scoring regularly with Sale placed 11th before the season ended.
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6. Shane Williams
The Wales legend made a return to Welsh rugby in 2017, coming out of retirement to play for his beloved Amman United. The former Wales and British Lions star stunned spectators as he took the field for his home town side in the National League 3 West B match against Burry Port. He then played for them in a final at the Millenium Stadium. He’s since played a further handful of games for the club.
