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RFU to trial ref-cam in Championship fixture

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Unioncomments30

TV camera at rugby union game

The Rugby Football Union is trialling a "ref-cam" during the televised Championship game between Newcastle Falcons and London Scottish on Sunday.

Match official Matt Carley will have a camera attached to his shirt to show close-ups of on-the-field action.

"It offers a new perspective for viewers," said head of professional referee development Ed Morrison.

"It will also provide us with an additional tool which can be utilised within the development of referees."

Referees at televised matches are already connected to microphones which keep the dialogue between players and officials open to all.

Likewise, in both union and league codes of rugby, cameras are located in dressing rooms to give viewers an insight behind the scenes, but this is the closest the sport has come to bringing an insight at pitch level.

"I don't know whether I like it. They're bringing all these things in to improve the viewers' experience. It's going to be something different," Newcastle Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards told BBC Newcastle.

"It's something we have to be mindful of. It's a high-pressure game with a few thousand people here.

"When you get so close to the action it's a different experience to at a distance. I'm nervous about it."

The game will be shown live on Sky Sports 3 at 15:00 GMT on Sunday.

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30 comments

  • Comment posted by U15480584, at 19:57 19 Dec 2012

    The police trialled these cameras. The head cams are actually better because they show where you are looking whereas the shirt camera tends to end up pointing at the sky most of the time. Good to see that rugby is keeping up with the 21st century apparently football have employed sketch artists for goal line decisions!

  • Comment posted by f111LOVER, at 17:36 20 Dec 2012

    I'm not sure how well it will work, but I look forward to seeing the results. However I'll be at the game so it will be afterwards on Sky+ for me.

  • Comment posted by family guy, at 14:25 20 Dec 2012

    Its not just the seeing, some decisions are about the human interpretation

  • Comment posted by RugbyOddjob, at 13:25 20 Dec 2012

    As a ref in the lower leagues I would certainly appreciate the ability to look back & make a decision. Despite he vast majority of players accepting, it would make convincing the doubters why a decision was made.
    It also would help those in the crowd (70m away & at an odd angle) that the ref, who is 4 ft away & in line with play, made the correct call.
    What we don't want is extreme stop/start.

  • Comment posted by welshsteve, at 12:39 20 Dec 2012

    Would be ideal at scrum time. 99.99% of scrums are not delivered straight (bordering on the farcical and pointless scrum in Rugby League), and it should also help the TMO to detect who's to blame for collapses.

  • Comment posted by Martis84, at 12:09 20 Dec 2012

    All I can say is good luck referee

  • Comment posted by U15427845, at 11:24 20 Dec 2012

    HOW MUCH TO ADVERTISE ON THIS NEW SERVICE I WONDER

  • Comment posted by U3274575, at 10:18 20 Dec 2012

    I'm thinking of getting a Huxley Cam installed on my TV so that the ref can see what I think of his decisions.

  • Comment posted by U15415966, at 10:16 20 Dec 2012

    Interesting trial, will they be able to use the footage for a citing hearing? I feel technology should be used more for things that the referee could not see (off ball foul play etc) not following him around. Let's sort out the rules on the TMO before we start looking at more cameras. How about a 'scrum cam' with an expert watching footage to sort that mess out?

  • Comment posted by MumblesOspreyJack, at 09:46 20 Dec 2012

    What the game needs is for refs to actually watch where the ball is instead of constantly turning away from the point of play to tell players to stay onside. Shouldn't the "assistants" be watching offside and actually assisting?

    The greater and greater emphasis on "win at all cost" by coaches and management means the officials need eyes in the back of their heads, not on the front of shirts!

  • Comment posted by Quantum5527, at 09:29 20 Dec 2012

    A bit like when they first introduced on board cameras to motor racing - it (motorsport onboard cameras) took a while to get it sorted and bedded in but now they are good.
    I can see this taking time to get right but in a couple of years we will probably get to like it.

  • Comment posted by U14978073, at 08:32 20 Dec 2012

    @7 hahaha love the sketch artist pun, made me laugh out loud at work.

  • Comment posted by john wales, at 08:17 20 Dec 2012

    It could show us what the ref may not looking at ?

  • Comment posted by U14469349, at 23:26 19 Dec 2012

    @10 bernard shakey-- i agree with you, but why should a linesman be able to keep up with elite athletes? that is an unfair expectation.

    if anything i would want 4 touch judges instead of 2, so they only have to cover half the distance.

    this ref cam seems like a good training tool, but other than that a bit of a tv gimmick.

  • Comment posted by U15537475, at 22:14 19 Dec 2012

    Sounds interesting, but maybe a more pressing issue is one of Assistant Referees, linesmen to you and me, being able to keep up with play somewhat better than they currently do.

  • Comment posted by U15301943, at 22:08 19 Dec 2012

    it will be great to watch on tv and see the impacts

  • Comment posted by Derek, at 22:07 19 Dec 2012

    Once again rugby leads the way...where football wonders about aimlessly behind

  • Comment posted by U15490765, at 18:36 19 Dec 2012

    I think that it is a good idea using the ref cam, because the referee will be able to see things that he wouldn't have done if it wasn't for the camera. I play Rugby as my username suggests, and I think that with the camera it is also a lot fairer.

  • Comment posted by U3246151, at 18:20 19 Dec 2012

    Interesting...but I doubt that it will add much as it's a fixed camera on the ref's shirt...not what he's actually looking at! Maybe at least we'll see how hard it is!

    Perhaps they should fit a camera on the back of the ref's head so that the viewer can see the defending side encroaching offside and all the other shenanigans that goes on behind his back.

    A good Christmas theme...IT'S BEHIND YOU!

  • Comment posted by woutster, at 17:59 19 Dec 2012

    sky sports 3 at 3pm

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