The GIANTS will break new ground in the Australian sports scene by trialling smart guernsey technology amongst their fans at Saturday’s Sydney Derby XV. 

In partnership with Solos and XBlades, 100 lucky GIANTS members have been selected to take part in an exclusive trial which the club expects will be a glimpse into the future of fan engagement in Australia.

This smart guernsey technology will see fans leave their membership card at home, with the embedded electronic tag acting as their ticket to the game.

Once passing through the express smart gates, members will be able to participate in exclusive match day experiences, unlock food and beverage rewards and access content only available to those wearing the smart guernseys. 

The smart guernsey was unveiled at the Analytics in Sport conference in Melbourne last week and will be rolled out for the first time at Spotless Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park this Saturday. 

GIANTS Chief Fan and Commercial Officer Ryan Kaveney said the club is eager to stay at the cutting edge of technology in all aspects of the club. 

“The opportunities are endless with this technology,” Mr Kaveney said. 

“To have the ability to communicate personally with our members and reward them in real time is an exciting prospect.

“The Sydney Derby has quickly become one of the biggest events on the Sydney sporting calendar and it’s great to be able to reward some of our members with this unique opportunity.

“We are thrilled to have reached 25,000 members for the first time in 2018 and this trial is a glimpse into the future of what is to come for GIANTS fans in the years to come.” 

Alongside Lava Real Time Sports Solution, Solos has had success rolling out the smart guernsey technology across the NBA, NFL and high-profile soccer competitions across the globe. 

Solos Limited Chief Executive George Monemvasitis said there are a range of benefits for fans and organisations involved with smart guernseys. 

“We’re delighted to partner with the GIANTS for this venture and improve their interactions with fans and build the intimate relationship the club has with its fans,” Mr Monemvasitis said. 

“This technology also has the opportunity to help mitigate the rise of counterfeit sports merchandise around the world as it will only be authentic merchandise that would include the chip in the guernsey.”

George Monemvasitis of Solos and Ryan Kaveney of the GIANTS at the recent Analytics in Sport conference in Melbourne.

Saturday’s match will be the 15th time the GIANTS and Swans meet in the AFL. A sell-out crowd of close to 24,000 is expected at Spotless Stadium with limited tickets still available through Ticketmaster.