EVENT SPOTLIGHT: USA RUGBY

HIA Pitchside Operator Connor McLaughlin works the USA Rugby Doubleheader in DC on July 19. 

SMT keeps USA Rugby Match Series fair and safe with behind-the-scenes tech

Thanks to Product Manager AJ Mead for contributing to this report and providing photos.

While fans cheered in the stands and players battled it out on the field this summer during the 2025 USA Rugby Match Series, SMT played a critical behind-the-scenes role in helping World Rugby keep the game fair and safe. For the second year in a row, SMT deployed its Television Match Official (TMO) services to support World Rugby matches in North America, providing advanced video replay tools used exclusively by officials and medical staff.

Using SMT’s SMT-VAR platform, Product Manager AJ Mead and team enabled video review at three dedicated user stations:

• TMO Review, which functions like VAR in soccer to aid officiating decisions.

• HIA-Pitchside, where doctors on the field could request replays of possible injuries.

• HIA Medical, a system located in the locker room area to assist with more detailed injury evaluations.

These services are powered by Tandem (our video server), Kaleidoscope (video review interface), and OASIS (data management system). Together, these tools ingest, synchronize, and archive game footage, allowing officials to review key moments live and after the match. Bookmarked clips are then exported and delivered to World Rugby for further review and archiving.

This year, SMT enhanced its services with a new set of encoders and decoders, enabling high-quality streaming of four camera feeds to the World Rugby platform for remote use by officiating experts—made possible via Medialooks. The system also delivered live video to Coaches Boxes, expanding the suite of real-time insights available to team staff.

While the matches went off largely without incident, Mother Nature added some excitement. A thunderstorm on July 12 delayed the USA vs. Spain match in Charlotte by nearly two hours.

"As torrential sideways rain soaked the venue, the team stored the HIA-Pitchside equipment under a tent, shielded from the elements," AJ recounted. "We were a little anxious that our equipment may be compromised, but after the weather subsided, the team promptly reviewed the status of the equipment and all was well."

Both on-site and remote staff contributing to its success:

On-site team

• AJ Mead, Product Manager

• Mark Cromwell, TMO Operator

• Connor McLaughlin, HIA Pitchside Operator

• Yosimar Vargas, Systems Lead/Technical Guarantee

• Makenna Day, Technical Guarantee

• Bryce Tricas & Ben Bronstein, Training Operators

Remote support

• Ryan Prasek, R&D Analysis and Testing Manager

• Maren Thompson, Project Manager

• Ryan LaRue, Director of Core Technology – R&D

• Marcus Brown, Director of Operations

• Steven de Haseth, Business Development Manager

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Chris Cartaino and Edward Sellars demonstrate why it's called a MonsterBoard.

Interns get hands-on at Wyndham Championship for Monsterboard setup

Thanks to Recruiter Kenny Bores for providing this report and providing photos.

One of the things you’ll hear often at SMT is how collaboration powers everything we do—and that spirit was on full display Friday, July 25, during setup day for the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.

Led by Event Project Manager Peter Kuerst, members of our Jacksonville-based Events team were onsite managing setup and operations for several key services and visuals. These included 113 IPTV TIPS feeds, the main entrance display, and the Monsterboard at the 18th green—a massive 40 x 14-foot LED board that’s one of the most visible features on the course.

With some extra help needed to assemble the Monsterboard, Durham-based Broadcast Operations interns Christ Cartaino, and Edward Sellars, along with SMT Recruiter Kenny Bores, made the trip to Greensboro to pitch in. Teaming up with SMT's Electronics Design & Maintenance (EDM) experts, the group got a master class in LED assembly from board-building legend Gregory Brown and EDM Electronics Technician Gregory Anderson.

With “feels like” temps soaring above 100°F and an Extreme Heat Warning in effect, the crew leaned on Mr. Brown’s many tricks of the trade to get the board built safely and efficiently. (Big shoutout to Peter for keeping everyone hydrated and cool.)

After nearly eight hours, the Monsterboard was up and running—just in time to move on to the next task: a second LED display at the tournament’s welcome area. The 8 x 20-foot spectator board came together in less than an hour, wrapping up a full day of hard work just after 7 p.m.

“Before last week, I had never even been to a pro golf event, nevermind helping to set one up,” said Edward. “It was a very insightful experience. As we pulled in, you begin to see the behind-the-scenes work with hundreds of people, all doing their part to bring the event together. I thought it was super cool to learn how the LED board functions and how to assemble it. I loved my experience.”

“Helping to set up was a really cool look into what goes into tournaments like these,” added Chris.

The Wyndham Championship teed off the next day, featuring top golfers in the final PGA Tour event of the regular season before the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

“We gained a newfound appreciation for these staples of sports events, as well as the conditions our Jacksonville teams face when putting on the biggest events around the world," Kenny said. 

Greg Anderson, top, and Chris Cartaino construct a video board as Edward Sellars looks on.

INTERN SPOTLIGHT: COFFEE WITH THE CEO

Gerard shares insight with interns during 'Coffee with the CEO'

Thanks to Alessia Iacono, Marketing Intern, for contributing to this report and to Kenny Bores for the images.

At SMT, innovation isn’t just something that comes from the top, it’s something everyone contributes to. That was clear during a recent “Coffee with the CEO” session, where interns sat down for a relaxed and honest conversation with Gerard J. Hall, SMT’s founder and CEO.

Gerard opened the conversation by sharing the origin story of SMT, describing how his passion for problem solving and technology led to the creation of a company that now powers some of the biggest names in sports broadcasting. From early breakthroughs in PGA and NASCAR graphics to cutting-edge advancements in player tracking, Gerard’s storytelling brought SMT’s evolution to life in a way that felt both personal and business-oriented.

Interns asked about everything from career decisions to staying motivated through uncertainty. Gerard’s advice? Don’t expect a straight path, lean into curiosity, and surround yourself with smart, driven people.

“You don’t usually get this level of access and openness from a CEO,” said Operations intern Aidan Yung. “It made us feel like we’re genuinely part of the company.”

The CEO coffee chat is just one piece of a larger effort that gave summer interns a meaningful, hands-on experience. Recruiter Kenny Bores added new touches to the program, including weekly Lunch-and-Learns, product demos, and a special summit in Durham to dive into broadcast operations. He and Erin Moore also led a session on professionalism in the workplace.

“I’m really proud of the experience we put together this summer,” Kenny said. “From the VAR/VOL and ROOSTER demos to the CEO chat, it’s something I hope we can offer to interns across all divisions by 2026.”

SMT-DUR interns pose after getting an inside look at the puck production process during a behind-the-scenes tour of the factory. From left to right: Jesse Lowenger, Brian Corrigan, Toby Snedecker, Jackson Adams, Anshuman Gupta, Aidan Yung, Alan Van Asch, Alessia Iacono, Christopher Cartaino, Gabby Lyman, Edward Sellars, and Zee Farmer.

INTERNS!  SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES!

We'd love to hear about the work you're doing this summer in your department.
Send your article to be featured in Oculus to c.jenkins@SMT.com.

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Events and Remote Teams

We are staffing 13 events this week. Safe travels to all!

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