If you ever thought that video games cannot lead youngsters to have an interest in sports, think again.
SA Rugby and its IT partner Dell Technologies have just concluded an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience which followed the Springboks around the country and gave fans the chance to dodge scrum bags and rugby boots at each international game played.
Using a VR headset popular with gamers around the world and pairing it with a custom-developed game, the experience instantly places you on a rugby field where you need to catch the rugby balls coming your way. You also need to dodge scrum bags and rugby boots that charge at you, upping the ante and your heart rate.
Before you put on the VR headset you place a wireless heart rate monitor on your chest, this data is then used with your in-game score to give you a final result for the leader board, testing not just reflexes but fitness too. While thousands of rugby fans enjoyed the game over the last few months, it was time to see who had what it takes to claim the top spot in this game between sports heroes or game masters.
The event hosted by Dell brought regional winners from around the country to battle it out one last time in this VR game that featured four of South Africa’s top Springboks and four of South Africa’s leading esports players from Bravado esports.
Even though friendly banter was thrown about, the boys became serious when it got time to step up to the mark. The Springboks had to ensure they dominate on the gamer’s turf, while the gamers had to make sure they could move fast enough to beat the game.
Most people do not realise that professional esports athletes have a strict fitness routine to keep their bodies sharp and their minds focused. In fact, the opposite is also true; most of the Springboks in the squad play video games. It’s not only a great way to spend their time while travelling but it keeps their minds sharp and the team bonds strong.
Throughout the day, the top spot was highly contested, and everyone was keeping an eye on the scoreboard to see who’d claim the lead. The score differences were marginal until Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff showed everyone that you don’t need finesse, just razor-sharp reflexes to beat this game.
When Andreas Hadjipaschali, CEO at Bravado Gaming, stepped into the VR zone, you could sense things were about to get serious, and so it did. With decades of video gaming hours under his belt, Hadjipaschali is no stranger to gaming on any device and when he knocked Kitshoff off the top spot he showed us why he’s in the business of gaming.
His excitement was short-lived though as Springbok, Jessie Kriel took to the floor and proved why he was wearing the Springbok jersey. Beating every other score in the house, the professional rugby player managed to claim the top spot on the leaderboard and took the win on the day.
It’s not often you see professional sportsmen face it off against esport athletes, but a simple VR game has made two of the most competitive teams in South Africa battle it out on a neutral, virtual platform. By bridging the digital game world with the player’s physical world, gaming takes on a whole new purpose, enticing youngsters to get physical in-game and in the real world.