Initiatives to create a rugby viewing environment where everyone can enjoy themselves

RICOH BlackRams Tokyo, Yugo Shirasaki

Real-time text conversion of stadium MC audio

RICOH BlackRams Tokyo, a member of Japan Rugby League One, offered a rugby viewing service for hearing-impaired fans for the first time at the NTT Japan Rugby League One 2023-24, round 12 match against the Yokohama Canon Eagles held at Komazawa Olympic Park General Sports Ground on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Converting the stadium MC's voice into text in real time and displaying it on tablets and smartphones via a dedicated website allowed hearing-impaired fans to enjoy watching rugby more than ever before. Fans enthusiastically commented, "Now that I can understand the stadium audio, I know what's happening as it happens!", "I can get excited right along with everyone else!", "So that's what that play meant!", "Oh, was that a knock-on?!", and "Are they setting up for a scrum?!" In addition, by setting up a deaf sports experience and introduction corner, and using sign language within the stadium, we created an opportunity for visitors to experience services for hearing-impaired fans and deaf sports.

Similar initiatives have also been implemented at the host games held on May 5 and December 8, 2024, and January 4, 2025. We spoke with Yugo Shirasaki, Club Visionary Officer of RICOH BlackRams Tokyo, about the initiatives to create a "rugby viewing environment where everyone can enjoy themselves."

The initiatives started with the production and release of a promotional video for the Setagaya City Sign Language Ordinance.

RICOH BlackRams Tokyo collaborated with its host area of Setagaya City to create a promotional video for the "Setagaya City Sign Language Ordinance" that came into effect on April 1, 2024. Through the production process, the team became more familiar with sign language, and received messages from hearing-impaired fans saying, "I want to enjoy watching rugby just like everyone else." Furthermore, the team learned about "Pekoe," a communication service for the hearing impaired offered by its owner, Ricoh, which strengthened its desire to create a "rugby viewing environment where everyone can enjoy themselves." One of BlackRams Tokyo's team values is "Going beyond race, generation, and the imagination." The team was convinced that the combination of the host area of Setagaya, information and communication technology, and the power of sport would enable them to undertake new initiatives that are full of enterprising spirit and go beyond imagination.

Therefore, at the match against the Yokohama Canon Eagles on April 6, 2024, a service for hearing-impaired fans utilizing "Pekoe" was implemented. Hearing-impaired fans who used the service enthusiastically shared their delight, commenting, "I could understand everything about the game, including fouls and substitutions!", "It was a wonderful project; I hope that all sports will have this kind of information accessibility!", and "I was able to share the cheering and the atmosphere, and it was a lot of fun; I hope you will continue to provide opportunities like this in the future!"

Setting up a deaf sports experience/introduction corner and providing hospitality through sign language

Providing hospitality on match day through sign language

Starting light experience

Furthermore, on the day, in addition to implementing the rugby viewing service for hearing-impaired fans, the team decided to set up a deaf sports experience and introduction corner. This is because at the "Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics" to be held in November 2025, the host stadium, Komazawa Olympic Park General Sports Ground, will be the venue for athletics, handball, and volleyball. We thought that this would be an opportunity for people to learn about the Deaflympics and diversity in society.

At the booth of the Japan Deaf Athletics Association, visitors were able to experience a starting light. A starting light is a device used in track and field events in which only athletes with hearing impairments participate, such as the Deaflympics. It emits light to signal the start instead of an audible starting sound. Players from BlackRams Tokyo and Yokohama Canon Eagles also experienced the starting light in a competition format, and they felt the fun of competing without being able to hear. At the deaf rugby experience booth of the NPO Japan Deaf Rugby Football Union, many fans participated in an experience where they wore a unique earphone system and played rugby without being able to hear outside sounds.

In addition, we also worked on utilizing sign language. The volunteer members and the staff of the nearly 20 food trucks that set up shop on match days were asked to learn simple sign language to provide hospitality for the rugby viewing service for hearing-impaired fans. The idea came from Toshiaki Hirose, a former captain of the Japan national rugby team, in his social activities. In addition, RICOH BlackRams Tokyo operates a volunteer organization called Ramgelists. The word Ramgelist is formed from a combination of the words "Ram" from BlackRams and "Evangelist", and it embodies the desire to convey the tradition and appeal of the BlackRams together.

As a team that works with the local community

Members of RICOH BlackRams Tokyo and the Japan Deaf Rugby Football Union

Since October 2016, the team has been continuously running "guest teacher" activities to teach tag rugby, which is designed for young people and beginners and eliminates contact such as tackles, at elementary schools in Setagaya City. This is a community activity in which cooperating organizations that support the Setagaya City Board of Education's promotion of "education that nurtures children through cooperation between schools, families, and the community" contribute to children's growth through activities such as sports and music as part of their social contribution activities. In December 2024, the team will visit four elementary schools in Setagaya City: Asahi Elementary School, Karasuyamakita Elementary School, Yamano Elementary School, and Fukasawa Elementary School. By the end of January 2025, the team is expected to have taught tag rugby to a cumulative total of more than 20,000 children. Through these guest teacher activities, the team will continue to promote rugby and youth development activities, mainly in its host area of Setagaya City.

It has been decided that the service for hearing-impaired fans will be operated at host game venues during the 2024-25 season as well. What we have learned from working on a rugby viewing environment where everyone can enjoy themselves is that this service is not limited to people with hearing impairments, but can also be used by people who do not understand rugby terminology to enjoy watching the game with easy-to-understand explanations in text format. In the future, we will create an environment where not only hearing-impaired fans, but also visually-impaired fans and others can enjoy experiencing rugby live.

(Photo courtesy of: RICOH BlackRams Tokyo)