'One common set of laws is no longer appropriate across pro and amateur rugby'
Professional rugby union is now in its second quarter-century and never before has such an emphasis been placed on adapting the laws to enhance safety.
But is it now time to seriously question whether one seamless set of laws remains a viable approach across the entire sport?
No-one doubts for a second that professional clubs including those in the Premiership and United Rugby Championship take their welfare responsibilities seriously.
Concussion spotters and compulsory recovery protocols were science fiction only ten years ago, while the levels of game-day support provided by medical professionals are now as impressive as they are thorough.
The focus which currently surrounds serious injury – and in particular head contact – is both understandable and justifiable.
After all, shocking reports that nine players from the relatively recent past – including World Cup winner Steve Thompson and internationals Alix Popham and Michael Lipman – face early-onset dementia plus other brain-related issues have in the last year horrified rugby followers across the globe.
Away from the public eye, the sport’s administrators are also doing their bit to make the sport safer as the recent crackdown on reckless play has evidenced. There will be no more Danny Grewcocks or Bakkies Bothas in an era when non-intentional head contact can earn you a red card.
The extent of this focus has been underlined in the last few weeks by World Rugby’s global law trials initiative which has introduced five changes. After making their bow in the Rugby Championship, all of these will be seen for the first time in the UK and Ireland in the coming weeks.
And it tells us much about the mindset and focus of those at the top of the sport that three of the five are all about improving player safety in the breakdown and tackle.
Rugby union has always prided itself on having one set of laws applicable to every adult playing the game, but 26 years after the sport left the amateur era surely it is now time to slaughter this sacred cow.
Those of us old enough to remember World Rugby head honcho Bill Beaumont as an early 1980’s Fylde and England second row recall he was widely known as ‘Big Bill.’
But at 6ft 2 and around 15 stone he was barely bigger than Owen Farrell or Elliot Daly.
Really intesting views from a man who's been there…https://t.co/Jyywrj0n8M
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Today’s professional players are full-time athletes who spend their working week preparing their bodies and minds for around 110 minutes of colossal physical impacts.
The professional game is underpinned by huge coaching, analytical and medical resources which leave no stone unturned, while we also have full-time paid referees.
As the ever-changing law book and list of directives indicates, rugby union is desperately trying to keep up with this physiological and technical progress.
Put another way, World Rugby is trying to find a way in which 46 elite-level, 18-stone muscle-bound athletes can smash into each other for two hours without getting badly hurt.
But is this change really necessary – or helpful – for those who play the sport at a recreational level?
I am sure I am far from alone in finding ever fewer parallels than ever before between the rugby played by my local club’s third XV or veterans’ side and what we all see on our TV screens.
Is it therefore necessary – for example – to insist on large numbers of front row replacements in low level league games when this may hinder a club’s ability to field a third or fourth team.
"A game-changing hat-trick for Wasps who can now look to the future with confidence"https://t.co/gstDQsfccC
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And while the goal-line drop out may improve the spectacle at Premiership level, it will probably have the opposite effect on a pitch ankle-deep in mud where the ball won’t bounce for the kicker and discouraging an effective driving maul depowers the main try-scoring threat.
France have already taken a step in this direction – albeit for safety reasons – by introducing uncontested scrums and a waist-height tackle regulation for all amateur rugby. This suggests it is far from compulsory for all unions to stick rigidly to World Rugby’s laws.
Former Premiership referee David Rose came through the recreational game as a player and coach with Walsall and Handsworth before cutting his officiating teeth around Warwickshire’s local clubs.
And while he stops short of supporting a call for separate law books for the amateur and professional games, he supports some adaptation.
“Most law changes are designed to speed the game up and improve the spectacle,” he said.
“But if you go and ask a local club third team player if he wants that he’ll almost certainly tell you that impressing the two men and a dog who are watching isn’t why he’s there.
Europe and South Africa were both reportedly options…https://t.co/Qk2DiJc3vc
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“So while I get the philosophy about having a ‘seamless’ game from the local park to the world’s top arenas, I do think some thinking is required as in reality we’ve had two separate games for a while.
“The challenge is deciding where you have the divide – that would also be different in every country. For instance, some National One clubs in England aspire to be professional and would face shifting from one law book to another if they got promoted to the Championship.
“Instead of making wholesale changes maybe there are elements which only apply at professional level.
“To take a current example you could not apply the goal-line drop out and 50:20 below the National Leagues. In the women’s and under-19 games we have law variations so it would be an extension of that. It then becomes nuanced rather than widespread change.”
Comments on RugbyPass
What a load of bollocks. The author has forgotten to mention the fact that the Crusaders have a huge injury toll with top world class players out. Not to mention the fact that they are obviously in a transition period. No this will not spark a slow death for NZ rugby, but it does mean there will be a new Super Rugby champion. Anyone who knows anything about NZ rugby knows that there is some serious talent here, it just isn’t all at the Crusaders.
1 Go to commentsI wouldn’t spend the time on Nawaqanitawase! No point in having him filling in a jersey when he’s committed to leave Union. Give the jersey to a young prospect who will be here in the future.
4 Go to commentsIt was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
5 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
4 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to comments