AVS comes to the end of RWC odyssey

New Zealand: The Rugby World Cup is one of the longest finals tournaments in the world. A tough, physical game means that players have to be rested for long periods between matches, and though there are only six matches between any one team and the finals, that means a month and a half of competition – both for the teams and for the kit.

AVS is one of the firms that has spent the last seven weeks in the Land of the Long White Cloud, supplying 12 Link L1500 HD wireless systems for both the world coverage and domestic broadcasts of the RWC. Four of AVS’ customized Sony P-1 steadicam camera packages were also part of the RWC package along with 12 AVS proprietary RF-over-fibre systems, comms and crew. To cover all 48 matches Sky Sports NZ, the host broadcaster, utilized four trucks and two flypacks at 12 separate venues.

Drawing on AVS’ long history of supporting events throughout New Zealand, AVS coordinated country-wide frequency licenses, allowing for seamless transitions from venue to venue.­ And with a dozen of them scattered across two islands, that was no mean task.

“The duration and geographic diversity has made the Rugby World Cup challenging for everyone involved,” says Robert Shaw, AVS Director of UK Operations. “Fortunately we have built good relationships with the local New Zealand crew over the years and together we have delivered a result that everyone has been very pleased with. Rugby is such a fast moving sport, but AVS’ lightweight wireless Steadicam package has allowed the operators to stay close, even after such a long series of games.”