World Rugby puts forward new changes
WORLD Rugby has announced a five-phase approach to growing the game and enhance rugby’s entertainment factor following the ‘Shape of the Game’ forum held last month..
From March 19, referees have been told to call “use it” earlier at breakdowns in a bid to speed up play and eradicate the use of ‘caterpillar rucks’, and also crack down on water-carriers coming on to the pitch.
World Rugby are moving to outlaw the ‘crocodile roll’, with a 20-minute red card also to be considered at the World Rugby Council meeting on May 9. Lowering the tackle height in the elite game to the base of the sternum is among the other possible law changes.
World Rugby’s statement says that a “key consideration will be the potential to combine stronger off-field sanctions for foul play with a global red card trial where a carded player is removed for the duration of the match but may be replaced by another player after 20 minutes”.
World Rugby will also seek to close the “Dupont’s Law” loophole in a bid to “reduce kick tennis. It was France scrum-half Antoine Dupont who first exploited the law which states players are put onside when the ball is kicked in open play once the kick receiver has passed the ball or moved five metres with it.
Other possible changes would be removing the scrum option from a freekick at a scrum to reduce wasted time.
The third phase of World Rugby’s plan involved Unions being encouraged to implement a package of closed law trials, ranging from the expansion of the shot clock for scrum and lineouts, the ability to call marks from a restart and playing the ball after a maul has been stopped once, rather than twice.
Another closed law trial would mean playing on if a lineout throw is not straight, providing the throw was uncontested.
The fourth phase of World Rugby’s approach will see speciality working groups established to explore different aspects, with any changes then recommended to the council.
The final phase of World Rugby’s plan will see new Rugby Labs, which “enable World Rugby to test out new aspects of law in a controlled environment evaluated by data and player feedback”, used to examine the impact of the game that either have an effect on speed or safety.
World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “Change is in rugby’s DNA. Two hundred years ago we were born from a desire to change, and we are harnessing that same spirit to excite the next generation of fans and players. That means being bold, embracing change by dialing up the entertainment value, making our stars more accessible and simplifying terminology and language used to explain rugby to those who are yet to fall in love with it.”