TNT Sports keen to show rugby's 'superhuman' side by getting top players to wear broadcast technology such as cameras in matches

TNT Sports bosses are hopeful they can show the 'superhuman' ability of rugby's top stars by providing technology for players to wear during matches within the next two seasons. 

The broadcaster of the Gallagher PREM – English rugby's top club competition – and the autumn internationals wants to continue to take its coverage of the sport to another level. 

It has already trialled player microphone content among a number of other innovations and doesn't want to stop there. 

Possible 'wearable technology' could include heart rate monitors and cameras as well as devices that measure the distance a player runs during a game, their speed and the amount of force exerted on them in areas such as the scrum or line-out. 

Scott Young is the executive vice president of Discovery Sports Europe who own TNT. 'We absolutely want to bring that into our production,' he said. 

'The insight into the human endurance and the athleticism of professional rugby players is not really seen on television. 

'It's more seen when you're there in the grandstands. TV can make that less impactful. If you could bring in the biometrics of a player, that's really important. It's got to be relatable. 

'That data has got to sit you back in your chair and make you go 'That is superhuman'. 'If we are just putting out data that people don't understand or that doesn't matter, we have missed an opportunity.' 

TNT would have to get approval from World Rugby – the game's governing body – for technology to be worn by the players while in action. They would also have to get player approval for their personal data to be revealed. 

So long as the technology passes safety standards, it is likely to be introduced as quickly as possible. TNT are also open to the PREM expanding from its current 10 teams. That could yet include Welsh sides joining in the future. 

TNT are also in discussions to take the broadcasting rights for the new Nations Cup competition which will begin in the summer of 2026 and be made up of the top 12 Test sides in the world. 

'We've mic'd up a couple of players last year, so we already know we can put technology on players and it doesn't have a significant impact,' Young said. 

'Anything we do on the pitch - cameras, microphones - needs World Rugby approval. 

'The ball has started rolling and not just because of us. PREM Rugby were already having those conversations. We'll also show how we do it in other sports where we have wearable technology such as cycling. 

'We have an innovation team we have put together. The technology also can't have any impact on the players' ability to compete. 

'We've done a lot of research in the background about what is the wearable technology? How can it not harm anybody on the ground? How can they play a contact sport by wearing wearable tech? 

'Do we support it? Absolutely. It's part of the story-telling narrative. You want people to realise the athleticism on the field and that goes to a lot of the biometrics.

'The next step is getting approval to do it on the pitch and then showing the players the data behind the scenes. I would hope somewhere through this season we start to get to a point where everyone is comfortable with it. 

'Whether we can roll it out this season I'm not sure. But I think we're making decent in-roads this season.'