The solution was to create the world’s first rugby ball with technology inside it. Technology that could teach a new audience the basics of the game, and its most important skills: passing and teamwork. Working with ex-All Black and World Cup-winner Sean Fitzpatrick and the youth development team from European champions, Saracens, we identified the core skills needed to teach good passing play – the key ingredient to successful rugby sevens players.

The ball was then designed to use a series of sounds to give immediate, real time feedback to kids (aged 8-12) who were first learning the game. Adding this gamifying element appeals to kids and makes learning intuitive. Every child understands, through technology, entertainment or gaming, the international language of sound design. Teaching and augmenting the game without interrupting it allows kids to learn whilst having fun.

After consulting with rugby experts, we isolated and identified the following skills needed to teach good passing play to our target age range:

• ability to spiral the ball

• ability to pass the ball over distance

• speed of passing i.e. passing the ball to a team-mate, rather than holding on

• team ability to produce consecutive pass moves

• accuracy of passes

The ball uses two algorithms to identify good passing play. A ‘predictive pass model’ is used to tell when the ball is being passed. Once the ball knows it is being passed a ‘descriptive pass model’ can analyse if the ball has the necessary characteristics of a good passing play. The ball then relays a feedback sound via a monophonic speaker system. Analytics are carried out in real time so feedback is given instantly.

In order to detect these attributes the ball uses sensor tags which provide information on the speed, acceleration and rotation of the ball. Working prototypes of the ball have successfully been produced and final data collection, (to identify final parameters of good passing in the age group), is being carried out. The first set of balls will be ready for use in mid-May.

Initially we are creating 20 Smart 7s Balls which will be used to build the most fundamental skills of the game with an audience first learning rugby sevens. This will happen in HSBC coaching clinics, and HSBC global ambassador programmes that take rugby to developing countries. The ball will later be produced at a greater scale and distributed in these countries.

This initial ball is the first phase in an incrementally improving series that aims to make rugby sevens more accessible and help develop a wider range of more sophisticated skills.

In the future we hope to develop an app to promote global competition by allowing young players to compare scores with players from around the world. The ball could become a valuable portal to identify talent and direct them to local rugby clubs. Perhaps someday the next Johnny Wilkinson will even be discovered through an HSBC Smart 7s Ball.