Gregan: Smart ball can be really helpful for rugby-viewing experience

Gregan helped put the smart ball through its paces alongside Tommy Bowe, Maggie Alphonso, and Sam Warburton under the eye of coach for the day Paul Grayson recently and came away from the experience enthusiastic for its potential.

SMART BALL: George Gregan says it’s real time data around the length of kick, speed and length of pass, and accuracy

The Test rugby-viewing experience is set to go up a level when the Autumn Nations Series kicks off across Europe this afternoon with the introduction of smart ball technology to provide coaches, players and supporters with real-time data.

If this sounds like another dose of information overload about to descend on armchair sports fans already weary of VAR, xG and the like in football’s Premier League, scrum-half legend George Gregan is here to soothe potentially furrowed brows for the former Wallaby has seen at first-hand how helpful this technology can be at all levels of the viewing experience.