WORLD RUGBY HAS confirmed that there will be no new law changes arising from the governing body’s ‘Shape of the Game’ meetings in London this week.
Representatives from the game’s unions, including the IRFU, met in the English capital to discuss the current state of rugby and though there were “robust” discussions around various areas of how the game is played, there will be no changes or new trials.
With the next World Cup now just 18 months away, it seems the consensus was that further tweaks could be counterintuitive at a time when supporters have expressed a desire for further confusion around laws to be avoided at all costs.
The leading figures who gathered in London seemingly agreed that a closer alignment between referee directives in different parts of the rugby world would be more useful than making more changes to the laws.
There was also consensus that the use of the Television Match Official [TMO] needs to be reined in somewhat, with current in-game reviews often proving to be drawn-out affairs that cause serious frustration for supporters in stadiums and watching on TV.
Improving fans’ experience of rugby was a key theme at the Shape of the Game conference in London this week, with the sport’s authorities keen to ensure that rugby is better explained, sold, and celebrated.
“The fundamental feedback was that the game is in a really good place,” said World Rugby chairperson Brett Robinson.
“We also acknowledge that whilst we’re in a good place, like anything, we need to be curious, we need to be restless, we need not to park the game in the freezer and say it’s all OK.
“We actually have to be open-minded to listening to our fans and to have systems and processes that enable us to adapt and adopt.”
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While speculation in recent days suggested that some unions were pushing for dramatic changes to rugby’s laws around things like the scrum, lineout, and aerial contests, nothing of the sort has come from the Shape of the Game meetings.
World Rugby chairperson Brett Robinson. World Rugby Pool Imagery / Mark Kolbe/INPHO
World Rugby Pool Imagery / Mark Kolbe/INPHO / Mark Kolbe/INPHO
The aerial element of rugby has been a big talking point this season, with contests under contestable kicks becoming more important since match officials were directed to clamp down on ‘escorting’ ahead of the November 2024 Tests.
World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said the unions are happy with that part of the game.
“Those changes have obviously made it more of a contest for the ball in the air,” said Gilpin.
“Player safety is obviously still vital in that space, so we’re still going to remain vigilant around the safety aspect and what that contest in the air looks like,
“But I think there’s broad appreciation for the changes. I mean, players have adapted brilliantly in that space, it’s opened up space in the game, so there’s no desire to change in those areas.”
Robinson said World Rugby is happy that more genuine aerial contests have led to chances for players and team to attack against disorganised defences.
“It’s created a really interesting dynamic now that there’s no escorting, and you get the fracturing of unstructured play because you get loose ball,” said Robinson.
“I think it’s created a really interesting dynamic of change and we’ve moved away from the aerial ping-pong that we were seeing, to seeing some really good opportunities for counter-attack and unstructured play.”
Robinson said there were no discussions this week about making specific law changes regarding players using one hand to bat the ball back, rather than competing to catch the ball cleanly in aerial contests.
He also quashed speculation that World Rugby had discussed depowering the scrum at the Shape of the Game conference.
“None of those issues were actually debated this week at all; they weren’t on the table to be discussed,” said Robinson.
“We ran a session that spoke about the establishment of a vision for the game and the principles of contest, and the primacy of contest is everything, the principles of all bodies, shapes and sizes.
“We had John Eales in the room this week, you know, towering over people and we need a game that enables us all to be able to participate and certainly the contest is at the heart.
“In no way were there any discussions about depowering of the scrum.
“We had some good conversations about the significance of the brake foot creating stability in our game, protecting load risk for players, and its impact on reducing the resets in the scrum, which is one of the most frustrating things for fans, the resetting of scrums.
“It’s that dead time that we’re looking to try and take out of the game because it kills momentum and engagement with the fan, and that’s probably where the conversations went.”
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'The game's in a good place' - No law changes after World Rugby talks
WORLD RUGBY HAS confirmed that there will be no new law changes arising from the governing body’s ‘Shape of the Game’ meetings in London this week.
Representatives from the game’s unions, including the IRFU, met in the English capital to discuss the current state of rugby and though there were “robust” discussions around various areas of how the game is played, there will be no changes or new trials.
With the next World Cup now just 18 months away, it seems the consensus was that further tweaks could be counterintuitive at a time when supporters have expressed a desire for further confusion around laws to be avoided at all costs.
The leading figures who gathered in London seemingly agreed that a closer alignment between referee directives in different parts of the rugby world would be more useful than making more changes to the laws.
There was also consensus that the use of the Television Match Official [TMO] needs to be reined in somewhat, with current in-game reviews often proving to be drawn-out affairs that cause serious frustration for supporters in stadiums and watching on TV.
Improving fans’ experience of rugby was a key theme at the Shape of the Game conference in London this week, with the sport’s authorities keen to ensure that rugby is better explained, sold, and celebrated.
“The fundamental feedback was that the game is in a really good place,” said World Rugby chairperson Brett Robinson.
“We also acknowledge that whilst we’re in a good place, like anything, we need to be curious, we need to be restless, we need not to park the game in the freezer and say it’s all OK.
“We actually have to be open-minded to listening to our fans and to have systems and processes that enable us to adapt and adopt.”
While speculation in recent days suggested that some unions were pushing for dramatic changes to rugby’s laws around things like the scrum, lineout, and aerial contests, nothing of the sort has come from the Shape of the Game meetings.
The aerial element of rugby has been a big talking point this season, with contests under contestable kicks becoming more important since match officials were directed to clamp down on ‘escorting’ ahead of the November 2024 Tests.
World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said the unions are happy with that part of the game.
“Those changes have obviously made it more of a contest for the ball in the air,” said Gilpin.
“Player safety is obviously still vital in that space, so we’re still going to remain vigilant around the safety aspect and what that contest in the air looks like,
“But I think there’s broad appreciation for the changes. I mean, players have adapted brilliantly in that space, it’s opened up space in the game, so there’s no desire to change in those areas.”
Robinson said World Rugby is happy that more genuine aerial contests have led to chances for players and team to attack against disorganised defences.
“It’s created a really interesting dynamic now that there’s no escorting, and you get the fracturing of unstructured play because you get loose ball,” said Robinson.
“I think it’s created a really interesting dynamic of change and we’ve moved away from the aerial ping-pong that we were seeing, to seeing some really good opportunities for counter-attack and unstructured play.”
Robinson said there were no discussions this week about making specific law changes regarding players using one hand to bat the ball back, rather than competing to catch the ball cleanly in aerial contests.
He also quashed speculation that World Rugby had discussed depowering the scrum at the Shape of the Game conference.
“None of those issues were actually debated this week at all; they weren’t on the table to be discussed,” said Robinson.
“We ran a session that spoke about the establishment of a vision for the game and the principles of contest, and the primacy of contest is everything, the principles of all bodies, shapes and sizes.
“We had John Eales in the room this week, you know, towering over people and we need a game that enables us all to be able to participate and certainly the contest is at the heart.
“In no way were there any discussions about depowering of the scrum.
“We had some good conversations about the significance of the brake foot creating stability in our game, protecting load risk for players, and its impact on reducing the resets in the scrum, which is one of the most frustrating things for fans, the resetting of scrums.
“It’s that dead time that we’re looking to try and take out of the game because it kills momentum and engagement with the fan, and that’s probably where the conversations went.”
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