Hawk-Eye to play judge and medic at this year's Rugby World Cup
Hawk-Eye is best known for being a virtual line judge in tennis, though it's used in many other sports including soccer, where it powers the goal-line technology the UK Premier League adopted a few years ago. And soon, it'll make its debut on the rugby pitch when this year's World Cup kicks off on September 18th, following successful trials of the system earlier this year. As rugby fans will know, a Television Match Official (TMO) is always on hand at big games to review broadcast footage when the on-pitch referee needs a hand with a tough decision. At the upcoming World Cup, TMOs won't have to rely solely on TV feeds any longer, with Hawk-Eye's SMART Replay tech offering multiple angles of the action and other benefits like zoom and slow-motion features.
Hawk-Eye isn't just being used to make the right try calls, however, as medical staff will also be able to review replays after particularly nasty tackles. Just as the NFL has turned to tech to better understand brain injuries, Hawk-Eye will provide much-needed intel on the nature of head impacts so tournament physicians can respond appropriately. And since rugby entails huge athletes thudding into other huge athletes at speed, there's bound to be a few scrapes and bruises.
[Image credit: Rugby World Cup]
