‘It’s madness' - Premiership boss attacks World Rugby’s latest law change plans

Monday, 01 April 2024 at 21:11

byRugby Rucker

World Rugby’s latest flurry of law change recommendations have been criticised as “madness” by Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter.

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“We need to stop changing the laws,” revealed Baxter to The Telegraph over the weekend.

“We’re trying to grow the game and there’s no sport in the world that tries to grow by confusing new supporters every 12 months.

"The game was fine three or four years ago, and we didn’t need to change it then – 90% of the law changes are to redo things that have been created by other law changes. It’s madness.”

He added: “I kind of hope that we just leave things,”

“They’re reinforcing two or three things to let the game keep flowing – we don’t need to do any more than that. We seem infatuated with thinking that depowering the scrum and maul will create this game everyone wants to come and watch.

“The more you depower the scrum and maul, the more you’re going to create a game that people are not going to want to watch because there’ll be no space.

“If there’s no free-kick option at a scrum then as soon as the scrum hits the floor or whatever, the back row are going to be up. There are going to be so many things people haven’t thought about, like depowering the maul. The best way to create space on a rugby field is to power up the maul.

“When people say: ‘You can’t stop a maul,’ you can always stop a maul. You just have to put in as many or more people than the opposition. That’s how you stop it. People don’t want to do it because then there’s space in which tries can be scored. But that’s the whole point. Keep the maul powerful so teams have to commit bodies to it. I just wish we’d stop changing the laws, it drives me potty.”

World Rugby law changes:

World Rugby has outlined the next steps in the process of reimagining rugby’s entertainment factor, part of a wider mission to grow audience share over the next decade.

First phase: Law Application Guidelines reinforcing existing law

From 19 March, there will be an expectation of strict application of current law by referees globally via the following Law Application Guidelines, focusing on speeding up play:

Law 15.17: Players will be expected to use the ball more quickly when the ball has been secured at a ruck/breakdown. Referees will be asked to call “use it” earlier, which will begin the five second count to play the ball away.
Law 19.10: Hookers will be expected to maintain a full brake foot to aid scrum stability and safety during the engagement sequence. Any adjustment must maintain the act of the brake.
Law 6.29: Strict reinforcement of the 2022 law trial relating to water carriers entering the field of play.

Second phase: Law amendment recommendations for global adoption

A package of law amendments will be considered by the World Rugby Council at its 9 May meeting. Each is aimed at enhancing game continuity:

Recommendation to make adjustments to Law 10 in relation to players being put onside when there are kicks in open play, as per the current Super Rugby Pacific trial which aims to reduce kick tennis.
Removal of the scrum option from a free-kick, reducing dead time.
Outlawing the practice of the ‘croc roll’, reinforcing player welfare focus

Third phase: Closed law trials

Unions and competition owners will be encouraged to implement a package of closed law trials which can be adopted at domestic or cross-border level, aimed at enhancing game continuity:

Expansion of the shot clock for scrum and lineouts and reduced kicking time.
Ability to mark the ball inside the 22m line from a restart, promoting attacking options.
The ball must be played after the maul has been stopped once, not twice.
Protection of the nine at the base of the scrum, ruck and at the maul following successful trials in Major League Rugby in the USA and in elite and community competitions in New Zealand.
Play on for lineout not straight if the throw in is uncontested.

Fouth phase: Specialist working groups

Specialist working groups will be established to further explore aspects identified by the Shape of the Game forum for further consideration. Recommendations will be made to Council.

On- and off-field sanctions: Comprehensive review of the sport’s disciplinary and sanctioning processes with the objective of streamlining, increasing simplicity, consistency and fan understanding. 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. The final proposal will go to World Rugby’s Council in May.
Tackle/Ruck/Breakdown: A major review of safety and spectacle issues as they relate to the breakdown, e.g. the impact of contesting the ball on the floor, jackal as opposed to an upright driving game.
Television Match Official (TMO) protocol: Determine the optimal remit for the TMO protocol, while setting new minimum standards for technology providers.
Replacements: Examine the latest research on the impact of fatigue and the number and timing of replacements in the elite game to determine options that might create more space on the field while improving injury rates.
Fan experience: Build rugby’s attention share via a fan-focused view of how the game is marketed, a consistent approach to presentation of the sport across all media environments and a focus on the moments in the game that really engage fans. This will include a thorough review of the language and terminology that is used within the game.
Tackle height: Consider the results of the community tackle height trials across 11 unions and consider appropriateness for elite rugby.

Fifth phase: Examine impact of specific aspects of the game in new Rugby Labs

New Rugby Labs, which enable World Rugby to test out new aspects of law in a controlled environment evaluated by data and player feedback, will be utilised to examine the impact of aspects of the game that either have an impact on speed or safety. These are likely to include the scrum engagement sequence and the tackle/ruck area

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