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Six Nations Rugby and Sage join forces to bring exciting in-match data and analysis to fans

  • Sage, a global leader in software technology, will become the Official Insights Partner of Six Nations Rugby
  • The partnership with Sage covers the Autumn Nations Series, Guinness Six Nations and TikTok Women’s Six Nations Championships
  • As part of its partnership, Sage will employ innovative “smart ball” technology, which will be used for the first time across all three tournaments, offering fans and viewers even greater insights into the games
  • All six unions and federations will have access to the smart ball data, offering teams, players and coaches insight to support performance and aid on field decision making

18 October 2022 - London, United Kingdom 

Six Nations Rugby, the official organising body responsible for the biggest annual international rugby competitions, has announced an exciting new partnership with Sage, a global leader in software technology.

The partnership will bring rugby fans even greater insights into the game; enhancing their viewing experience through real time data and analytics captured through smart ball technology and advanced predictive analytics.

The Sage partnership with Six Nations Rugby will span the Autumn Nations Series, Guinness Six Nations and TikTok Women’s Six Nations.

The 2022 Autumn Nations Series kicks off on 29 October when Scotland host Australia and will be the first time Sage uses the smart ball data and presents its insight to fans in a Six Nations Rugby competition.

The Autumn Nations Series will consist of five rounds of international rugby fixtures that sees the best Northern Hemisphere nations welcome the best Southern Hemisphere nations, reigniting rugby rivalries that stand to offer fans a Series of truly unmissable experiences.

Sage is renowned for helping businesses make better data-led decisions and will be using this expertise through its partnership with Six Nations Rugby. The partnership with Sage will enable all participating Unions, coaches and players valuable insights to aid performance and on-field decision making.

Commenting on the partnership with Sage, Ben Morel, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, said:

“Six Nations Rugby is a fan-focussed organisation, working in collaboration with each Union, Federation, and partners to deliver truly unmissable experiences. The partnership with Sage is incredibly exciting for everyone involved, as they share a desire to enhance the experience for audiences, and ultimately bring even more fans into the game.

“To offer fans even greater data and insight from the on-field action through innovative broadcast and social presentation is going to be another important step in ensuring we are offering the best possible experience for the audience, as well as supporting the teams on and off the field.”

Cath Keers, CMO of Sage said: “Becoming the Official Insights Partner of Six Nations Rugby is an exciting step for Sage, as we continue to bring our insight and decision-making capabilities to life, in a human and accessible way.

“For some teams, the Autumn Nations Series will be the first time they have been able to gather data and insight from the smart ball technology. This is incredibly exciting, given our ambition to support teams in their decision making in training and during games, based on data led insight.

“For fans watching, Sage wants to use its role as Official Insights Partner is to help bring that new insight to life and enhance their experience, both through broadcast coverage and across social media. Our Sage customers, partners, employees and communities internationally will also benefit from the partnership with access to tickets, experiences, and content.”

This new partnership follows Sage’s successful integration as Official Insights Partner to the Hundred, in cricket, and most recently, a partnership with Major League Baseball. 


For more information, contact: 
Michael White, Head of PR and Communications, Six Nations Rugby 
E: [email protected] 
M: +44 (0) 79292 06878 

Sage: 
Natalie Falkous, Sage, [email protected]
M: 07 587 175 991

Cameron Scott, CSM
E: [email protected]

About Six Nations Rugby 

Six Nations Rugby is the official organising body of the annual Six Nations Championships and Autumn Nations Series.

Working in partnership with its member unions and federations in England (RFU), France (FFR), Ireland (IRFU), Italy (FIR), Scotland (SRU) and Wales (WRU), Six Nations Rugby has responsibility for the promotion and operation of the renowned Six Nations Championships and Autumn International Series, as well as the negotiation and management of their centralised commercial rights.

The Six Nations Championship is the oldest international rugby tournament in the world, dating back to its original incarnation in 1883 and expanding to its current format of six teams in 2000. It consists of three highly competitive annual tournaments across men’s, women’s and U20s rugby.

In its day-to-day operations, Six Nations Rugby is guided by the core values of courage, solidarity, inclusion, integrity, and creativity. Together with its unions and federations, Six Nations Rugby is committed to the development of rugby at all levels, as well as working with other governing and representative bodies around the world to ensure the best possible future for the game, its players and its fans.

For further information about Six Nations Rugby please visit: www.sixnationsrugby.com

About Sage:

Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of small- and mid-sized businesses served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology, and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis. Learn more at www.sage.com/en-gb/

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