O2, proud partner of England Rugby, today announced further details of how fans across the country can experience ‘Wear the Rose’; the first ever Oculus Rift sports experience.

‘Wear the Rose’ from O2 gives people the opportunity to train with England’s Elite Player Squad without ever having to set foot on a single blade of grass.  Utilising ground breaking Oculus Rift technology to immerse them in a unique 360-degree virtual reality experience, ‘Wear the Rose’ transports people directly onto the rugby training pitch.

Surrounded by familiar faces, they can enjoy all the action and excitement of an England Rugby training session. Whether getting a team talk from Captain Chris Robshaw, being tackled by hooker Tom Youngs, or receiving a pass from fullback Mike Brown, ‘Wear the Rose’ from O2 lets fans step into the boots of an England Rugby player for the very first time.

Check out the trailer here.

‘Wear the Rose’ will be debuted at the O2 blueroom at Twickenham Stadium for the England vs. Wales match on Sunday 9th March and then from April will be available via Priority, giving O2 customers the chance to experience the technology for themselves. ‘Wear the Rose’ will then be showcased in select O2 stores across the country from June, supporting England’s tour of New Zealand this summer, and will be taken to the rugby community later in the year.

Mike Catt, England Attacking Skills Coach said:  “I’m very impressed by ‘Wear the Rose’ from O2. Applying virtual reality technology to the sporting world will not just bring the fans closer to the action it could have real world training applications in the future, for example by helping players with decision making.”

Nina Bibby, Marketing and Consumer Director at O2 comments: “We are always looking at how we can use innovative new technology to deliver unique experiences for our customers.  ‘Wear the Rose’ from O2 uses cutting edge technology to give fans a totally immersive experience, bringing them closer than ever before to the world of Elite Rugby.”

Released to coincide with the 2014 RBS 6 Nations, ‘Wear the Rose’ demonstrates O2’s on-going commitment to bringing rugby fans closer to the action, and enriching customers’ lives through the latest digital technology. This follows last year’s launch of O2 Matchday, a free multi-platform rugby app that uses exclusive Ref!Link technology to provide a live feed from the referees microphone directly to any compatible device.

For more information on ‘Wear the Rose’ from O2 visit www.o2.co.uk/rugby or follow @O2sports on Twitter and Instagram.

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