TryZone IQ: How Opta & Capgemini Transformed the In-Game Fan Experience at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
From the opening group stages right through to the Red Roses' memorable victory over Canada, Capgemini and Stats Perform delivered a pioneering AI-driven campaign which transformed live Opta rugby data into clear, compelling insights - helping fans better understand the game, connect with players on the pitch and drive record-breaking global engagement for World Rugby.
Women's rugby is growing fast, with global female participation up 130% since 2021. But with greater visibility comes greater expectations. Fans want more than just coverage - they want connection, insight, and excitement.
As a principal partner of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, Capgemini identified the tournament as a strategically important platform to accelerate momentum behind the women's game. Partnering with Stats Perform and World Rugby, Capgemini launched TryZone IQ - a ground-breaking, AI-powered fan engagement campaign powered by Opta data that:
- Introduced the first use of generative AI at any Rugby World Cup, men's or women's
- Transformed live match data into 1,521 real-time insights across 32 matches
- Powered a dedicated digital Match Centre that generated 18 million impressions
- Helped the tournament become the second-biggest Rugby World Cup ever on digital, behind only the most recent men's edition in 2023
- Delivered strong brand impact for Capgemini, including a 29% uplift in awareness and 49% uplift in brand affinity among Gen Z
The campaign's impact has also been recognised by the industry, with TryZone IQ being named Best Use of Technology in a Sponsorship Campaign at the UK Sponsorship Awards. TryZone IQ was also shortlisted at the Sports Industry Awards in the AI in Sport category, as well as the Smarter Sports Awards in the Smarter Performance Intelligence, Smarter Female Athlete Innovation, and Smarter Fan Platforms and Communities categories, with both awards ceremonies taking place this spring.
The Most Accessible Rugby World Cup in History
Rugby matches generate thousands of data points across 80 minutes, yet historically only a fraction of this information reaches fans. As a result, valuable data often remains underutilised and critical context is lost - particularly for newer audiences discovering rugby for the first time through the Women's World Cup.
TryZone IQ changed that dynamic entirely.
For the first time at any Rugby World Cup, generative AI was used to transform live Opta match data and historical tournament data into bite-sized, real-time insights, delivered seamlessly across official broadcast, digital and social channels. These insights provided clear, simple explanations of key moments, tactics and shifts in momentum as the action unfolded.
By turning complex data into accessible storytelling, TryZone IQ acted as a live companion to the match, enabling fans of all knowledge levels to follow the game with confidence and engage fully, whether they were longstanding rugby supporters or watching for their very first time.
Turning Players into Heroes
Understanding what happens in a match matters - but long-term fandom is built through deep connection to players. Throughout the tournament, TryZone IQ went beyond explaining key match moments to humanise performance and elevate the athletes themselves.
This included spotlighting:
- Standout individual performances that shaped match outcomes
- Personal milestones reached on the world stage
- Consistent player strengths, records and historic accomplishments
- Player impact on team standings and progression through the tournament
TryZone IQ helped audiences connect emotionally with the players on the pitch. This player-centric storytelling deepened engagement, encouraged repeat viewing, and supported the growth of individual player profiles at a defining moment for women's rugby.
By placing players at the heart of the narrative, the campaign helped introduce a new generation of global female rugby role models and strengthened the emotional bond between fans and the women's game.
AI Automation Augmented by Opta's Rugby Data Editorial Expertise
The success of TryZone IQ was underpinned by a workflow that combined AI-driven automation with expert editorial oversight. Live match Opta data collected by Stats Perform was processed within TryZone IQ's cloud platform, enabling a generative AI engine to produce real-time performance insights. This analysis was then reviewed and curated by Stats Perform's data editorial team to ensure only the most relevant content reached fans.
The chosen insights were then distributed across multiple official channels, including:
- Global broadcast feeds, appearing as dynamic on-screen graphics
- The official Women's Rugby World Cup website and app via a dedicated digital Match Centre
- Social and digital channels, extending reach beyond live match viewing
As the tournament progressed, AI-driven automation became increasingly trusted and effective. During the final, nearly 90% of all TryZone IQ insights published via the official digital match centre were fully automated or lightly edited, compared to 68% in round one.
In total, 1,521 TryZone IQ insights were generated across 32 matches:
- 439 insights were published digitally
- 36 insights were delivered on broadcast
- 32 insights were shared via social channels
Driving Measurable Impact for Capgemini, World Rugby and Global Audiences
TryZone IQ delivered tangible results across fan engagement, tournament growth and brand performance.
For Capgemini, the campaign strengthened brand impact and demonstrated the power of AI in fan engagement:
- 29% uplift in brand awareness
- 49% uplift in brand affinity among Gen Z
- Reinforced positioning as a leader in technology-driven innovation and inclusivity in sport
"TryZone IQ showed how AI can transform complex live data into insight that is accessible, engaging and meaningful for audiences at every level. Stats Perform's depth of high-quality, trusted Opta data and editorial excellence enabled us to bring this vision to life and execute the campaign at the scale and pace of a Rugby World Cup."
Graham Taylor, Head of Applied Innovation, Capgemini
For World Rugby, TryZone IQ helped the tournament reach record-breaking levels of digital engagement:
- 1 billion social impressions generated across the tournament
- 1 million interactions from published posts
- Women accounted for two-thirds of all new followers, highlighting the sport's expanding and diversifying audience
- The Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 became the second-biggest Rugby World Cup ever on digital, behind only the men's edition in 2023
"With Capgemini's help, we've been able to transform across broadcast, digital, social, which helped fans generate a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the game in real-time as it unfolds."
Tassilo Hanau, Director of Partnerships & Business Solutions, World Rugby
For fans, the campaign made rugby more accessible and engaging by providing:
- Clear, real-time explanations of tactics and in-game decisions
- Deeper understanding of team patterns, records and milestones
- Rich context that fostered emotional connections with players
Setting a Benchmark for AI-Driven Inclusivity and Fan Engagement in Sport
TryZone IQ didn't just enhance coverage of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 - it redefined what's possible when data, AI and editorial expertise come together with a clear purpose.
By unlocking underutilised match data and making rugby more accessible to a global audience, the campaign delivered meaningful impact for audiences and brand partners alike. It demonstrated how AI-powered live sports storytelling can deepen fan connection, elevate athletes, and create partnerships that drive high levels of engagement on a global stage.
Find out more about how Stats Perform is authentically connecting brands with global sports audiences.
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