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Reduction in subs among World Rugby's latest law review proposals
World Rugby will take the first steps towards potential player welfare-based law amendments when its Law Review Group (LRG) meets in London on Thursday and Friday to evaluate law trial proposals for the next Rugby World Cup cycle.
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The meeting of law experts, players, coaches, referees and elite competition representatives furthers World Rugby’s collaborative approach to injury-prevention within the process of law review and builds on the success of the player welfare and laws symposium in Marcoussis in France in March.
At the Marcoussis meeting, delegates considered the latest global game and injury trends. Headline game analysis data confirmed ball in play time has increased by up to 50 per cent since 1987 (greater increases in northern hemisphere competitions), while the number of tackles has increased by 252 per cent over the same period. Scrums have decreased by 56 per cent.
With the tackle accounting for 50 per cent of all injuries and 76 per cent of all concussions and 72 per cent of concussions in the tackle occurring to the tackler, the group considered evidence-based ways to reduce injuries in the tackles, resulting in a number of recommendations for the LRG to consider within the law amendment process:
- 50:22 kick proposal: creating space by encouraging players to drop back from the defensive line;
- Reduction in the number of permitted substitutions;
- Off feet at the ruck/players must leave the ball: creating greater contest at the ruck to speed up ball availability;
- Delaying the movement of the ruck defensive line: reduce defensive line speed;
- Lowering the tackle height: building on World Rugby’s three-phase approach;
- Ability to review a yellow card when a player is in the sin bin for dangerous foul play.
I look forward to collaborating with my union colleagues later this week to consider potential injury-prevention law trials for post RWC 2019 https://t.co/xHf1r0Ycmk #rugby via @worldrugby
— Sir Bill Beaumont (@BillBeaumont) June 25, 2019
The LRG will examine each proposal and make recommendations to the international federation’s Rugby Committee as to which proposals are suitable for trial.
Alongside the six Marcoussis proposals, the LRG will also consider detailed proposals from the Fédération Française de Rugby regarding the tackle and a number of proposals in relation to the sevens game and Rugby X competition, which will launch in October this year.
The group will also consider the latest data from the recent World Rugby Under-20 Championship where a high tackle technique warning system operated, focusing on removing high-risk tackles by encouraging player behaviour change. The 2018 edition resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in concussions year-on-year.
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World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont and CEO Brett Gosper discuss this week's ‘Shaping the game’ symposium in Marcoussis, France, where important discussions on player welfare and laws took place. pic.twitter.com/N5x8wvl0Tc
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) March 21, 2019
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We are committed to ensuring that rugby is as simple and safe to play for all and the quadrennial law review process is the vehicle in which we review current law with a view to enhancing the experience for players and fans.
“This is the first time that we have kick-started the process with the sole purpose of injury-prevention and the Law Review Group will give detailed consideration and analysis of the Marcoussis recommendations and to determine practicality and likely impact and therefore which ideas, if any, would be suitable for trial recommendation after Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.”
LRG and Rugby Committee chairman John Jeffrey added: “I’m looking forward to welcoming delegates for what will be an important and informative meeting and would like to thank unions, competitions and International Rugby Players for their continued full support of the process.
With a key player welfare symposium taking place in Paris this week to consider the latest game playing and injury trends, hear from World Rugby CEO @brettgosper on the importance of this week's meetings. pic.twitter.com/h1HPCLXMGd
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) March 18, 2019
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“By the end of the week we will have a clear mandate to take forward to the Rugby Committee in terms of the law amendments and trials for potential implementation within the next four-year cycle.”
World Rugby deputy chief medical officer Dr Eanna Falvey said: “While community and youth injury rates are comparable to other mass-participation sports, overall elite level injury-rates are not increasing and concussion incidence has decreased by between 10-14 per cent in the last year, the game is united in its commitment to further reduce the risk of injury.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to place injury-prevention at the heart of the law review process, ensuring that research and evidence continues to inform the major decisions that are made about the playing of the game in order that players at all levels of the game benefit.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
You probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
12 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
16 Go to comments