O2 To Offer 6 Nations Rugby Tourney in 3D

This year’s 6 Nations tournament will reinforce rugby’s position as a pioneering sport in the development of 3D sports coverage. England’s home games at Twickenham Stadium in west London will be shot in 3D and screened in 40 Odeon and Cineworld cinemas.

The 3D coverage is being organised by telecom company O2, which sponsors the England team. The games against Wales on Feb. 6 and Ireland on Feb. 27 will be in polarised 3D and are part of celebrations to mark 100 years of Twickenham, the spiritual home of English rugby.

The 6 Nations made its first leap into three dimensions in March 2008 when the Calcutta Cup match between England and Scotland was screened in 3D to an invited audience. This test transmission was produced by BBC Sport and the 3DFirm.

O2 has experience with the technology from coverage of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, which was shown in 3D at the O2 Arena in east London.

Commenting on the latest foray into the technology, O2 Marketing Director Sally Cowdry says, “As England team sponsor, we’re committed to enhancing the experience for rugby fans. With these screenings, we’ll be using the latest technology to let thousands of fans across the country get closer to the action and join in the excitement of celebrating 100 years of England rugby at Twickenham.”

Paul Vaughan, business operations director for the Rugby Football Union (RFU), adds, “In Twickenham’s centenary year, this demonstrates that England Rugby has a rich history and an even richer future with exciting developments such as O2’s 3D screenings.”

SVG will report on the finer details of the production during the 6 Nations tournament in February.