Dezeen Magazine

Live-etched Player of the Match trophies created for Rugby World Cup

The work of Jun Mitani has inspired a trophy for the Player of the Match winner of each game at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, which will be etched with real-time highlights taken from in-game commentary.

Created in collaboration with designers at Mastercard, the trophy will be awarded to the Player of the Match following every game at the tournament that begins today.

Match highlights from the commentary will be etched onto the award in real time, to create what Mastercard are calling a live trophy.

Jun Mitani creates live-etched Mastercard Player of the Match trophies for Rugby World Cup

Designed by Mitani, a professor of Information and Systems at the University of Tsukuba, the red and black trophy has a form based on the craft of traditional Japanese paper folding.

"This trophy beautifully incorporates the essence of Japan with its interpretation of the folds of the traditional art of origami," explained Mitani.

"It's a wonderful design, which encompasses the spirit of rugby in its sturdy and impressive form."

Jun Mitani creates live-etched Mastercard Player of the Match trophies for Rugby World Cup

During the match a computer programme will monitor commentary from the official World Cup feed, as well as social media channels, to identify highlights.

This text will then be etched onto the triangular panels on the back of the trophy in real-time while the match is taking place to create a unique trophy.

Jun Mitani creates live-etched Mastercard Player of the Match trophies for Rugby World Cup

"The Mastercard Player of the Match trophy blends Japanese heritage with cutting-edge technology, celebrating the first-ever Rugby World Cup in Asia," said the brand.

"This unique story-making approach enables players to take home a first-of-its-kind, truly priceless account of the match, so they can re-live moments of passion, excitement and sporting greatness."

The trophy will be given to a single player after every match of the World Cup in Japan, which runs from 20 September to 2 November 2019. The ninth edition of the tournament will consist of 48 matches hosted across 12 cities. It is the first time the tournament has been hosted in Asia.

Numerous designers have created unique trophies for prestigious tournaments and events, with David Adjaye, Zaha Hadid and Anish Kapoor all creating statutes for the Brit Awards.

The Dezeen Awards trophies were designed by Atelier NL to reference the architecture of London.