Supplied
The Gilbert x Sportable Smart Ball will be used during Friday’s semi-finals at Tuks Stadium as well as in the final at the same venue on Monday.
The ball, which has received rave reviews in the UK and Europe, took five years to develop.
It can’t score tries or clear the posts on its own (that’s where the players come in) but it can do a lot of other cool stuff.
The device inside the Gilbert x Sportable Smart Ball tracks a host of key events during a rugby match including kicks in play, lineouts, passes, possession, territory and ruck speed.
In future competitions, the smart ball will also be used to instantly detect and alert referees to forward passes.
“We are incredibly excited about the opportunity to work with Varsity Cup and SuperSport to bring our solutions to fans and coaches in South Africa,” says Dugald Macdonald, Sportable founder and CEO. “Varsity Cup’s reputation for pioneering new developments in the game is second to none, so we view the introduction of the Smart Ball on Friday as just the start of a long, exciting partnership.”
