Virtual reality training session with England rugby squad

“ARE YOU A WINNER?” he roared at us, stalking the perimeter of the small room.

“YES COACH!” bellowed the true players, encouraging us to do the same.

“WHAT DO LIONS DO?” he shouted. “ROAR!” yelled back the team, the echo

bouncing around the thick walls. We shuffled together into a huddle, and

followed our leaders down a narrow tunnel.

We were led out and onto the Twickenham pitch itself at a light jog, running

up through the seats and into rooms where the Oculus

Rift virtual reality headsets awaited us.

The sets are similar to ski goggles with a flattened black panel stuck onto

the front, where the magic happens. Moving images are displayed for both

eyes and combined to create the illusion of 3D depth, while gyroscopes and

accelerometers will track my head movements to allow me to look freely

around the virtual world I am about to enter.

^{Trying out the Oculus Rift headset}

We were about to participate in the O2

Wear the Rose experience, which promises to immerse the wearer in a

360 degree virtual reality training session with the team. I pulled the

goggles on and listened to Sean Bean’s dulcet tones asking me if I was

ready. I was.

Within seconds I was transported directly to a green pitch on a wintery day,

surrounded by the entire team. England Attacking Skills Coach Mike Catt

welcomed me in his clipped South African tones, before telling me I was

about to be put through my paces. I felt strangely nervous as the video

shifted with me as I turned my head to take in my entire surroundings,

watching the players shift impatiently from foot to foot. “Let’s see what

you can do,” panted Chris Robshaw as he jogged past, beginning the session.

Over the next five or so minutes, I am utterly immersed in the session. I had

to stop myself instinctively throwing my arms out to catch a ball thrown

towards me, or physically ducking down to tuck myself into the back of the

scrum. I can hear the players calling to each other, laughing, the songs of

the birds in the nearby trees and the meaty crunch as a player pulls me to

the ground with ease. It’s an utterly bizarre blend of the surreal and the

truly believable; you flinch when you’re tackled and twitch when it’s your

turn to drive. You can’t help it, it just feels that real.

“It was brilliant having you on board,” said Catt as the video came to a

close, “Make sure you deliver.” Yessir.

^{The view from inside the headset}

The Wear the Rose experience was filmed in October last year during a genuine

training session. I asked England Second Row Joe Launchbury, who was

instrumental in England’s most recent victory over Ireland, how it was done.

“We were going about our business during training and there was a guy in full

kit playing as a teammate with a big head strap with cameras on and around

us. You are pretty aware of a guy running around with a big metal structure

on his head.

“In terms of how it looks, it’s very accurate to a normal, everyday training

session. It’s the closest thing to playing it – unlike watching it on TV,

unless you’re cold and wet on a touchline it’s hard to truly understand what

it’s like. For people to get the opportunity to see up close and personal

the small things we do, will hopefully encourage more rugby participation.”

The experience will be available for the public to try for the first time at

the O2 blueroom during Sunday’s match at Twickenham, and from April will be

available via O2 Priority.

Catt himself says the application of virtual reality technology to the

sporting world will not just bring the fans closer to the action, but could

hold real-world training applications in the future, such as helping players

with decision making.

After the session I was interviewed by a small Irishman on my performance. I

think I delivered, I said. “Is it true you cried like a little girl when you

were tackled?” he asked. “Urr…”

It was fascinating to witness the application of Oculus Rift technology to a

real-life experience, as opposed to a clearly-simulated video game. But the

combination is likely to breed the next generation of hyper-realistic sports

games – the excitement of being transported straight onto the pitch to be

surrounded by your heroes in a way which tricks your brain and senses in

every way to process the experience as reality is an undoubtedly attractive

prospect for the sports fanatic.

Oculus Rift has been slated for consumer sale later this year, and is a truly

impressive piece of kit. As for me, my England / Welsh loyalty lines have

become a little less finite. Come on Cymru – where’s my training session?

^{Having absolutely none of it}

Article source: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/feb/07/ireland-jamie-heaslip-six-nations-wales

Virtual reality training session with England rugby squad