World Rugby is considering lowering the height of tackles in elite matches and a global trial of 20-minute red cards as part of a radical plan to widen the sport’s appeal.
The governing body will also consider the possibility of reducing the number of substitutes and re-evaluate the use of TV match officials to speed up matches and improve spectacle.
The plan, which will be implemented in five stages, was announced at World Rugby’s Shape of the Game forum last month and is aimed at making the game more interesting. More immediate changes include clamping down on the use of water carriers, encouraging referees to call ‘use them’ and allowing scrum-halves to play the ball faster from the ruck. But World Rugby’s long-term proposals could have a significant impact on the world of rugby. game.
A specialist working group will be established to assess the results of the Community Tackle Height Test across 11 unions and “consider their suitability for elite rugby”. When the Rugby Football Union first announced a reduction in tackle heights in early 2023, there was an uproar with mixed messages about how far the threshold would be lowered. Although this trial was much more successful than when it was introduced, bringing about changes at the elite level would be a seismic shift for the professional sector of the sport.
The introduction of a global 20-minute red card trial, in which sent-off players are not allowed to return to the field and are substituted after 20 minutes, will be voted on by the World Rugby Council in May. A comprehensive review of the disciplinary and sanctions process. This has proven popular in the southern hemisphere and avoids matches being marred by controversial red cards like the one shown to Freddie Steward during England’s loss to Ireland last year. right. Opponents of the measure worry that introducing more lenient sanctions would send the wrong message as head injury lawsuits continue.
A separate working group will also consider research into the effects of fatigue and the number and timing of substitutions in elite matches “to determine options that may increase space on the field while improving injury rates.” is. Eddie Jones is one of the rugby’s leading figures in favor of reducing substitutes, but more importantly, so is World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont.
World Rugby also wants a review of the TMO protocol, which has come under widespread criticism for causing too long disruptions to matches. As of last Saturday, there were still questions being raised about the TMO’s decision to intervene and draw the referee’s attention to Ben Earl’s no-arm tackle, but the penalty ultimately gave France a point after defeating England. Obtained.
World Rugby also wants to consider “setting new minimum standards for technology providers” amid numerous complaints about replays not being available or being broadcast during the Six Nations. Safety and eyewear issues related to breakdowns will also be extensively reviewed by the working group.
From Tuesday, players will be expected to use the ball more quickly when securing the ball at a ruck/breakdown as part of the first phase of the plan. In effect, it is an attempt to end the dreaded caterpillar rack. Hookers are also expected to maintain full brake foot to aid scrum stability and safety during engagement sequences, while there are moves to limit the number of times water carriers enter the field.
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World Rugby also recommended a number of legal changes to be rubber-stamped in May, including closing a loophole known as the “DuPont Law” aimed at “reducing kick tennis”. Current law states that a player in front of the kicker is considered onside when the kick receiver passes the ball or travels five meters with the ball. France’s Antoine Dupont has also used this, but it prolongs the kicking contest. Removing the scrum option from free kicks in scrums and banning ‘clock rolls’ are also among the recommended fixes.
Associations and competition organizers require that a shot clock be used for scrums and lineouts, that the ball must be marked within the 22 meter line from the restart, and that the ball must be played once a maul has been stopped. It would be encouraged to conduct a series of closed-door law trials, such as asserting . Instead of twice, the scrum half will have more protection and will allow the referee to play if the lineout is not straight and no objections are raised.
“The moves we are making are based on our commitment to becoming more relevant on a global scale and are born out of a desire to change for the better,” Beaumont said. “It’s about increasing the entertainment value, making our star players more relatable, simplifying the terminology and language used to explain rugby to people who aren’t already hooked on it, and being bold and embracing change. That means we moved quickly. It took extraordinary solidarity and dedication from across the sport to bring the package of enhancements to council in May. We look forward to the debate.”
