Rugby Australia is embracing artificial intelligence in the form of a free app to combat real-time online abuse and harassment of players through social media.
In an Australian sports first, RA has partnered with Social Protect, which will make the AI-powered social media protection app accessible to all clubs, staff, volunteers and participants, from the elite level such as the Wallabies to community rugby.
Social Protect automatically detects and deletes harmful, offensive and abusive comments from a user's social media profile, posts or pages in real time.
Deleted comments are recorded in an admin portal, which can be accessed by RA for law and policy enforcement purposes.
In a two-month trial across national team social media accounts such as the Wallabies and Wallaroos, Social Protect quarantined more than 1500 comments.
RA boss Phil Waugh said the partnership would set a new standard for how sports could respond to the issue of abuse on social media.
"This groundbreaking partnership is a significant step forward in Rugby Australia's commitment to providing a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved in our game - from Wallabies and Wallaroos to grassroots players, volunteers and referees," Waugh said in a statement.
"Social Protect gives us the tools to actively prevent harm, rather than simply waiting to respond after it happens.
"By making the app available across the entire rugby ecosystem, we're proud to be leading the way in Australian sport and sending a clear message that abuse and harassment - online or offline - have no place in rugby."
Shane Britten, founder and CEO of Social Protect, said the app was built to give individuals the power to define their own boundaries in the online space.
"Abuse is abuse, whether it happens on the field or in a comment section," he said.
"Rugby Australia's whole-of-sport adoption is a clear sign that participant safety now extends beyond the sidelines.
"This partnership proves what's possible when an organisation truly commits to safeguarding its people."