The heroes of the Rugby World Cup will have their star performances immortalised - with unique trophies featuring individual match highlights.

The heroes of the Rugby World Cup will have their star performances immortalised - with unique trophies featuring individual match highlights.

For the first time, the sporting spectacle, which kicks off today (Fri), is taking place in Asia.

So worldwide partner Mastercard wanted to blend Japan’s heritage with its love of cutting-edge technology by making a series of changes to the Player of the Match trophies.

They have developed a bespoke computer programme which monitors fan activity on social media throughout the game.

When activity online increases during dramatic moments, commentary from the official World Cup live feed will be etched onto the award with a state-of-the-art laser.

The completed trophy, which features a sculptural origami design inspired by the work of Professor Jun Mitani, will then be presented to the Player of the Match straight after their star performance.

Players will be able to relive their moment of sporting greatness with the first-of-its-kind award.

Mastercard developed the trophy to highlight how tech has transformed sport - in the way we play it and view it.

It comes after a survey of sports fans by OnePoll found 64 per cent of Brits agree that technology is enhancing sports events.

Video replay came out as a fan favourite, with more than half (54 per cent) of all global respondents saying it was significantly improving sport.

British and Irish fans have varying opinions when it comes to tech though.

Those in Ireland are big fans of video replay (60 per cent), while nearly half (44 per cent) of respondents in the UK voted for hawk-eye and video referring (41 per cent).

A majority of fans also said keeping up to date on their phones makes them feel more connected.

And almost one third of the 13,000 fans surveyed keep up-to-date online via video streaming.

Raja Rajamannar, from Mastercard, said: "Connecting with people through their passions is at the heart of how we bring Priceless to life all over the world.

"Sports have been an important part of that journey, and by using technology to enhance the experience for fans at the game, fans at home and players alike is how we are building emotional and culturally-relevant connections."

ENDS