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World Rugby conference set to address the sport's biggest talking points

BORDEAUX, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 17: Referee Mathieu Raynal, Assistent referee Angus Gardner, Assistent referee Pierre Brousset in discussion with TMO Brett Cronan thru the big screen during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between South Africa and Romania at Stade de Bordeaux on September 17, 2023 in Bordeaux, France. (Photo by Hans van der Valk/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Off the back of a hugely successful Rugby World Cup 2023 and in the midst of the Six Nations, amongst other domestic rugby competitions taking place, the State of the Game conference is now in full swing.

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The annual World Rugby conference falls within the law review cycle and is set to take stock of game and fan trends before delivering outcomes to be considered and in turn recommended to the Executive Board in March.

In recent years the forum has been key in delivering law application guidelines to speed up the game as well as innovations such as the Bunker review system.

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Referee Angus Gardner on his unique shadow preparation – Whistleblowers | RPTV

In this snippet from the exclusive Whistleblowers documentary on the lives of referees, Angus Gardner goes through his routine, explaining how he likes to get his mind right for matches. Watch the full documentary on RugbyPass TV

Watch now

This year it’s likely that some of the sport’s most talked about areas will be addressed, for example the infamous ‘Antoine Dupont law’ and TMO interventions.

“World Rugby’s purpose is to grow the global game by making it more relevant and accessible,” said a World Rugby spokesperson.

“The Shape of the Game conference is an annual forum that brings together playing, coaching, match officiating, medical and fan experts from across the game to consider the latest trends and make recommendations to advance playing and audience experience.

“As with previous editions, outcomes will be considered by World Rugby with recommendations being made to the Executive Board.”

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Day one will focus on the general presentation of latest information regarding data and trends from playing, medical, and fans, while day two will be committee meetings (community, high performance men’s and women’s, professional leagues and the professional game), with information considered and generic recommendations leading to joint group discussions on day three for consideration.

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cw 1 hour ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Thanks JW for clarifying your point and totally agree. The ABs are still trying to find their mojo” - that spark of power that binds and defines them. Man the Boks certainly found theirs in Wellington! But I think it cannot be far off for ABs - my comment about two coaches was a bit glib. The key point for me is that they need first a coach or coaches that can unlock that power and for me that starts at getting the set piece right and especially the scrum and second a coach that can simplify the game plans. I am fortified in this view by NBs comment that most of the ABs tries come from the scrum or lineout - this is the structured power game we have been seeing all year. But it cannot work while the scrum is backpeddling. That has to be fixed ASAP if Robertson is going to stick to this formula. I also think it is too late in the cycle to reverse course and revert to a game based on speed and continuity. The second is just as important - keep it simple! Complex movements that require 196 cm 144 kg props to run around like 95kg flankers is never going to work over a sustained period. The 2024 Blues showed what a powerful yet simple formula can do. The 2025 Blues, with Beauden at 10 tried to be more expansive / complicated - and struggled for most of the season.

I also think that the split bench needs to reflect the game they “want” to play not follow some rote formula. For example the ABs impact bench has the biggest front row in the World with two props 195cm / 140 kg plus. But that bulk cannot succeed without the right power based second row (7, 4, 5, 6). That bulk becomes a disadvantage if they don’t have a rock solid base behind them - as both Boks showed at Eden Park and the English in London. Fresh powerful legs need to come on with them - thats why we need a 6-2 bench. And teams with this split can have players focused only on 40 minutes max of super high intensity play. Hence Robertson needs to design his team to accord with these basic physics.



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