New World Rugby '50/22' kicking proposal has well and truly divided fans

World Rugby has proposed a number of changes in recent weeks that have divided fans significantly. The Nations Championship is something that still has swathes of critics who are yet to be won over.

However, after the recent World Rugby symposium, it looks as though there is a new hot topic for discussion amongst fans on social media and that is the proposed 50/22 law variation.

The new trial is borrowed from rugby league’s 40/20, and would allow a team in possession to earn an attacking lineout if they kick from their own half into touch in the opponent’s 22 with the ball bouncing.

It is almost impossible to introduce a new concept like this without facing opprobrium, and that has happened in this instance.

This is what the skeptical fans are saying on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/KeithClarke1/status/1108655935982133248
https://twitter.com/glewisfed1888/status/1108651012020207616
https://twitter.com/ktf81/status/1108649507745599490
https://twitter.com/liversedge/status/1108635094233825280
https://twitter.com/CallumCouch/status/1108646999694413824
https://twitter.com/huwjpthomas/status/1108629639398862848
https://twitter.com/RichardsChris81/status/1108655649687302144
https://twitter.com/CaomhanMacandra/status/1108665806890651648

I don't agree with the 50/22 rule. Union is already a game with a lot of kicking ball away. This would not help the flow of an attacking game IMO.

— Nick Cotterill (@NNickcot) March 21, 2019

The initial fears amongst these fans is that rugby would become dominated by kicking and driving mauls. The term ‘kick tennis’ has become infused into rugby vernacular in recent years, and some think that this new proposal will lead to kicking dominating rugby at the expense of running.

However, World Rugby are saying that it will lead to the opposite. As defending sides add numbers to cover the backfield, that will create more space in the defensive line, which will facilitate more attacking rugby. Tactical kicking will still play a pivotal role in the game, if not more so, but it will also reduce the chances of an attacking team facing a defensive wall consisting of 13 or 14 players.

With the large number of concussions remaining one of the major concerns to World Rugby, this measure is supposed to reduce the number of head-on collisions due to the increase of space in defensive lines.

This is what many of the fans that are in favour of this proposal are arguing, as there is a considerable portion of supporters that are backing this new trial. This is what they are saying:

https://twitter.com/thedeadballarea/status/1108632960650149888
https://twitter.com/phillipstaffy/status/1108655986372431872
https://twitter.com/RonnieG303/status/1108642442255974405
https://twitter.com/Horsebox1986/status/1108640074508484613
https://twitter.com/RaversgGreen/status/1108652830808858624
https://twitter.com/haydn_davies/status/1108644210025136128

Loving the 40/20 proposal

— Cillian Hogan (@Cillian_Hogan) March 20, 2019

Player welfare is at the forefront of World Rugby’s thinking, and it looks as though they are consistently trying to make rugby safer. Alongside this, other proposals are being made with the aim of reducing injuries, but as expected, this new kicking trial has split fans.