Rugby League Technology

Unlike many other major sports, rugby league has been an enthusiastic adopter of technology in the game and has embraced its TV partners in a significant fashion.

Following the formation of Super League in England in 1996 and the National Rugby League (NRL) in Australia in 1997, TV technology and presentation has been at the very heart of the sport, with those leagues reliant on the revenue gained from broadcasting to survive.

As such, the use of basic spectator improvement experiences such as firework displays and booming sound systems have been a part of Super League since its inception and the sport continues to work hard on its 'entertainment' offering.

On the pitch, league has authorised the use of TV replays to decide controversial tries since 1999, ahead of its subsequent deployment in union. The system could be set to be used in all Super League games from 2010, but has come in for criticism for the length of time it can take to make decisions.

The use of two referees is also being considered, with the pair able to immediately consult through headpieces. The system is currently being trialled already in the NRL, where the Melbourne Storm are also using GPS identifiable shirts to aid the tracking of players in game analysis.

The equipment for playing the game ostensibly remains the same, although rugby league has been renowned for keeping ahead of current developments in player training, particularly in the area of fitness and conditioning.