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The Q&A document explaining what the new World 12s is all about

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

World 12s have issued a lengthy question and answer document explaining how a new tournament kicking off in August 2022 in England can aspire to bring £250million of new financial stimulus into the global game over the next five years while attracting a new global fanbase interested in a different type of from the 15s game. 

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Q. What is World 12s?
World 12s is a new rugby union tournament for our changing, fast-paced world. It’s an exciting format featuring the world’s best players. The players will be split into eight franchised teams and will compete annually around the world in a 12v12 tournament over a three-week period.

Q. What is the difference between 12s and 15s?
World 12s will follow the current Laws of 15s, but with a few exciting adaptations:

  • 12 players in a team – six forwards and six backs 
  • 15-minute halves
  • Conversions will be drop goals only
  • Only one scrum reset, followed by a free-kick
  • Scrum infringements are penalised by a differential penalty (a penalty that cannot be kicked at goal)
  • In the knockout stages, if matches are tied at full time, a golden point will decide the winner

Q. How will a typical tournament work?
For the 2022 men’s tournament, eight franchised teams will play each other once in a round-robin format. There will be seven round-robin match days, where four matches will be played per day. The knockout stages will be split into semi-finals day, and a finals day to decide how teams are ranked from first to eighth.

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Q. How does 12s work in terms of playing positions? 
There are six forwards and six backs.  The extra space created by having three fewer players across the pitch allows both the opportunity for running rugby and exciting tactical kicking, depending on how a coach chooses to align their backline. This will lead to a high scoring, high pressure and attractive rugby being played, whilst keeping the shape and a semblance of the structure of 15s.

Q. How many players are in each squad?
Each squad will be made up of 24 players. To help boost the development of the global game, each franchise will be required to select at least two players from Tier Two nations as well as one international Under-20s player.

Q. Where will World 12s be played?
The plan is to move the tournament to different global locations each year. It is anticipated that England will be the first host nation in 2022. 

Q. When will World 12s be played?
Discussions continue with key stakeholders, but we see late August/early September being the suitable window to host this three-week tournament in 2022. World 12s aims to complement the existing global rugby calendar.

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Q. Who are the teams?
The eight franchised teams will be decided by auction which will take place later this year. The franchised teams will be determined by geographical location and subject to World 12s criteria, with a keen focus to develop homegrown players as well as improve participation from emerging nations.

Q. Who is going to play?
The world’s best players will be sold at an auction and bought by the franchised teams. Each team will have a playing squad of 24 players.

Q. How will the players be selected?
Players will be selected via auction. The player auction will follow a similar format to the draft seen in cricket’s IPL or The Hundred.  The eight franchised teams will be able to buy players to make up their team. More information about the franchise and player auctions will be announced in due course. 

Q. When is the player auction?
We are looking at the early stages of 2022.

Q. What is World 12s doing to address player welfare?
Player welfare is critical to the success of World 12s. We have introduced a number of key changes to assist the players in their rugby careers. Some of these include match duration and game time. Each match will last 30 minutes and there will be a restriction on the amount of game time per player.  We are also committed to being the best-researched rugby tournament in the world and World 12s will offer an excellent platform for the sport to investigate issues that truly matter for the welfare of the players.

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Q. Is there a plan for a women’s version of World 12s?
Yes. With Rugby World Cup 2021 now taking place in New Zealand in 2022, the women’s format of World 12s will launch from 2023 and will be played in tandem with the men’s tournament.

Q. What is World 12s Limited?

World 12s Limited is a newly formed international company established in the summer of 2020 to run a new professional franchised global 12s tournament.  World 12s Limited has assembled a board and executive team with a wealth of rugby experience from around the globe, complemented with commercial experience from within other elite sports and the wider corporate world. 

Q. How can I get more information on World 12s?
To ensure you have the best chance to find out all the latest information about World 12s, sign up to hear more on the World 12s website.

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J
Jon 28 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 3 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 7 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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