As part of its strategic development, Rugby Europe, the European governing body of Rugby, announces the implementation of Television Match Officials (TMO) and Head Injury Assessment (HIA) for Rugby Europe Championship from 2021 onwards. The tournament will be part of the qualification process for Rugby World Cup 2023.
Following a call for tender conducted with major companies in the market, Rugby Europe selected VOGO, a French-based company, which has demonstrated its expertise in Top14, with EPCR, numerous sports leagues and international events for many years.
Throughout each match, VOGO will provide its VOGOSPORT solution for TMO and HIA and coordinate with local TV producers and Rugby Europe teams at each stadium. The company will also provide its VOKKERO Elite audio communication system to referees officiating on the competition.
By initiating these measures, Rugby Europe continues to professionalize its competitions and meets high-level standards.
Octavian Morariu, President of Rugby Europe: “The implementation of TMO and HIA on this major competition was an important objective for Rugby Europe. We wanted to put it in place for the qualifying matches for Rugby World Cup 2023. This will be the case thanks to the partnership with the company VOGO. It is also an important act in our refereeing training policy and in the protection of the health of the players, which are essential elements for the development of European rugby. "
Florent Marty, Rugby Europe CEO: “We are thrilled to implement TMO and HIA on our competitions. Thanks to VOGO's expertise and the partnership signed for four years, we continue to improve our competitions and our products to make them more attractive to our fans and our partners.”
Christophe Carniel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VOGO, said: "I would like to thank Rugby Europe for placing their trust in us. Over the next four seasons of the Rugby Europe Championship, representing 60 matches, we will provide participating countries with our solutions for the medical and refereeing issues which are a top priority in this high-level competition. We are one of the only players in the world offering combined audio and video solutions capable of meeting the requirements of professional sports competitions. Our integrated solution is key to our technical and business success, which was reaffirmed by Rugby Europe's choice today."
