Don’t change kicking rules, says Muir

ENGLAND prop Maud Muir says that the key to improved goalkicking in the women’s game is more emphasis on coaching the skill, not a rule change to make kicks easier.

Ahead of England’s game against Wales, Simon Middleton called for conversions to be taken in “10 metres from the touchline” if tries were scored in the corner.

Prior to that match, England had landed only eight of 22 conversion attempts, but have since converted 11 of the 17 tries they have scored in their last two games.

And since sitting down for a separate interview alongside Bristol bears fly-half Amber Reed, Muir has formed the opinion that improvements in coaching are preferrable to Middleton’s proposed change to the rules.

“Obviously I’m not a goalkicker, so I don’t really know the ins and the outs,” she said, speaking on The Rugby Paper Podcast. “But I think that people can do it, World Rugby and The Six Nations have posted loads of clips online of kickers slotting them in from the touchline so it can happen.

“I did an interview with Reedo and she pointed out it isn’t coached as much as other areas of the game, so perhaps that’s why it’s a bit lower.

“I definitely don’t think moving it in would help in the long term. To try and equal the game, we have to keep the laws as similar as possible to the men’s game. It would grow the gap between men’s and women’s rugby and only show spectators that we’re behind the men and that’s not the case.

“I think it’s just an area where there needs to be more development on the coaching side of things.”

She added: “To try and keep the women’s game as accessible as possible will be the best thing for the game. The supporters from the men’s game will find it easier to watch and that’s what we need to do.

“That’s not to say we’re only trying to get men’s spectators, we want to get every kind of spectator there is, but to make it as simple as you can is the best thing for the women’s game.”