Robinson buoyed but cautious

“It’s a positive first step in the right direction, provided there’s an appetite to continue to look at evolving the game.’’

NZR chief executive Mark Robinson, left

New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson has hailed a “positive start” in the global attempt to ramp up the game’s entertainment factor, but has warned the process must be an ongoing one if the desired impact is to be achieved.

Robinson recently returned from an extended trip north that took in, among other things, a World Rugby shape of the game forum that produced a series of key recommendations around speeding up the game and dialling up the watchability factor.

And while the proposed changes being mooted by World Rugby have been decried by some critics, including former All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen, as not going far enough, Robinson believed important momentum had now been established.

Among the determinations from the forum are law amendments to go before World Rugby’s May council meeting around offside from general kicks (currently in use in Super Rugby) and removing the scrum option from freekicks, as well as law trials for key aspects aimed at speeding the game up.

There have also been specialist working groups established to look closely at the role of the TMO, sanctions, the breakdown, replacements and tackle heights, while the much talked-about 20-minute red card is also due to be voted on in May as a proposed law trial.

“It was a really positive start,” Robinson told Stuff yesterday in a media debrief. “The intent and commitment going into the room felt like everyone acknowledged this was a great opportunity to move the game forward.

“The key themes coming through around increasing the tempo of the game, and removing the level of intervention that slowed the game down, were really clear from everyone.

“Overall it’s a positive first step in the right direction, provided there’s an appetite to continue to look at evolving the game, and this doesn’t become just a once-every-few-years process.”

In other words, Robinson cautions that the job will not be done with just a random few law tweaks and some fresh emphasis on existing regulations, if World Rugby are really serious about their promise to “embrace change by dialling up the entertainment value”.

“When you look especially at the latter rounds of the Six Nations and first five rounds of Super Rugby, we’re seeing that coming through in the product.

“Super Rugby certainly has been amazing. We’ve just had an update from Sky around broadcast numbers and, as an example, round 4 in comparison with last year was up 25%.

“So we’re sensing overall viewership is strong, and sentiment around the competition is positive, and in that sense what the on-field product is doing to lift that is meaningful.”

Asked the most significant achievements from the global gathering, the NZ Rugby chief executive went straight to an area that has not always been viewed favourably in the north.

“We’ve been working hard for some time on the 20-minute red card, so to have real progress there was heartening,” he said. “It hasn’t been adopted yet, but there is a lot of positive sentiment around it coming through.”

The red-card rule is a change NZ Rugby has been driving for some time as sendings-off have become more and more commonplace with a zero-tolerance approach to high contact.

“Our view is having a situation where one team is disadvantaged for what can be a significant proportion of the match is not good for fans or the game,” added Robinson.

On the domestic front, Robinson didn’t have a lot to say on chat that veteran lock Sam Whitelock could be set for a return to the New Zealand game, other than it was the player’s decision to make and there would be a “willingness” to have him back if that’s what he decided. “I don’t believe there has been an approach from the All Blacks around that,” he added.

And the NZR chief continued to sidestep the thorny issue of Pilkington review findings on governance amid suggestions there was a standoff between the provinces and national union around next steps.

“This is a matter for the board, and [chair Dame] Patsy [Reddy] is doing a tremendous job at leading through it. When the board is ready to communicate further on the matter it will.”