Capgemini launches the Momentum Tracker

Paris, Dubai, December 5, 2019 – Capgemini, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series’ Global Innovation Partner since January 2018, has launched its pioneering Momentum Tracker tool, ahead of the opening event of the men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 in Dubai. Developed by Capgemini’s experts in advanced data analytics, the new tool will use artificial intelligence (AI) to measure the performances of men’s and women’s teams at individual tournaments and their capacity to improve throughout the new season. The cumulative tracking results will culminate in an overall award given at the end of the season, at the World Rugby awards ceremony, to both the Captain and Coach of the most improved team.

The Momentum Tracker provides unique data-driven insights showing which countries are on the up – and down – in terms of performance across each tournament, as well as the season as a whole. It is accessible for fans, players and coaches alike via the World Rugby Sevens Series website and Capgemini’s Rugby 7s page.

Thomas Hirsch, Group External Communications and Sponsorship Director at Capgemini, said: “The Momentum Tracker uses a meticulously tested, carefully trained AI algorithm that calculates a simple score and offers a new and alternative barometer of teams’ performances. Aggregating a wide range of match data, the Momentum Tracker analyzes and measures a team’s performance and its ability to improve throughout the campaign.

“We want to provide insightful analysis that people are not able to find by just looking at the raw data, and match statistics. Raw data doesn’t always lead to useful analysis of a game or team performance – it has to be challenged, compared to other data, and put into context. We are measuring different aspects of performance on a different scale.”

The teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions that register great performance and demonstrate most improvement, and therefore momentum according to the AI algorithm, will be recognized and rewarded after every individual tournament.

Capgemini ran the Momentum Tracker algorithm last season, behind closed doors, and the tool showed that the USA was the most improved men’s team across the series, even though they finished second to Fiji in the official rankings. This trial run demonstrates that any team can win the Momentum Tracker recognition at a given event. For example, in last season’s men’s campaign Kenya, France, and Samoa all triumphed according to the tool, despite not winning tournaments in Paris, Hong Kong and Las Vegas respectively.

Rachael Burford, World Champion with the England XVs team, past Rugby Sevens participant and member of the World Rugby Women’s Advisory Committee, said: “It is brilliant to see Capgemini using its technological expertise so that rugby sevens fans can benefit from its advanced data analytics capabilities. The Momentum Tracker shines a spotlight on the in-form teams to watch. It is an exciting new tool for the Sevens Series and will be incredibly useful for fans.”

World Rugby Chief Executive, Brett Gosper adds: “We are delighted to have Capgemini at our side as our sevens series Global Innovation Partner for a third season. The Momentum Tracker, which provides a new way to view teams’ performances, is a great example of how Capgemini continues to innovate and explore ways to track and encourage improvements to the game and the fan experience.”

The World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 marks the 21st edition for the men, and the eighth for the women. Momentum is certainly building for the latter, in terms of progress, because three new legs – in South Africa, New Zealand, and Hong Kong – have been added this season. In total the women will have a record eight stops, which is only two fewer than the men. In another sign of progression, the men and women will play at the same venue across six tournaments, in Dubai (December 5-7), Cape Town (13-15 December), Hamilton (25-26 January), Sydney (February 1-2), Hong Kong (April 3-5), and finally in Paris (May 30-31), the curtain closer for both men’s and women’s competitions. Fans, players and coaches will be able to use Capgemini’s Momentum Tracker to follow the form of all the teams from start to finish of the campaign.

About Capgemini

A global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, Capgemini is at the forefront of innovation to address the entire breadth of clients’ opportunities in the evolving world of cloud, digital and platforms. Building on its strong 50-year heritage and deep industry-specific expertise, Capgemini enables organizations to realize their business ambitions through an array of services from strategy to operations. Capgemini is driven by the conviction that the business value of technology comes from and through people. It is a multicultural company of over 200,000 team members in more than 40 countries. The Group reported 2018 global revenues of EUR 13.2 billion (about $15.6 billion USD at 2018 average rate).

Visit us at www.capgemini.com. People matter, results count.