O2 Matchday app puts rugby ref's mic feed on your mobile

O2 has launched a Matchday app, which gives rugby fans the ability to eavesdrop on the on live microphone feed from the most important man on the field: the ref. It allows you to hear a blow-by-blow account of every call made.

If, like me, you have found yourself shouting at the TV during England's rugby matches, wondering what on earth the referee is saying, then this could be the perfect companion on match day.

Previously, only fans visiting Twickenham were able to listen to the feed, courtesy of the Ref!Link service, but with the O2 partnership, the couch potato crowd are now able to access the exact same service. If you are lucky enough to gain entry to the home of England rugby, you won't have access to the app due to licensing issues -- you will be able to purchase a Ref!Link from inside the stadium though.

If you get sick of listening to all those judgement calls, there are some of the other juicy features on offer, such as pre-match previews, head-to-head comparisons, in-game stats and key player highlights.

I gave the app a try and found plenty of goodies on offer -- which is great for hardcore rugby fans -- but I was disappointed to find key features were only available on match day. While it's understandable that I have to wait until England vs France this Saturday to really use the app as it's intended, it would have been nice if I could stream previous games.

International referee Nigel Owens heralded the launch of Matchday as "a further example of the transparency that rugby champions."

England's currently at the top of the Six Nations table, so there couldn't have been a better time to release the app, with rugby fever peaking across the country.

iOS 5+ users will be able to download the app straight away but Android users will be left hanging -- although O2's  promised the app will come "very soon".

Have you always wanted to know what goes on in the mind of the referee? Or would you prefer to just watch the game? Let me know in the comments below or come join our Facebook scrum.