Rugby’s New Year resolutions to make the game more entertaining
View(s):Nigel Owens, the referee who controlled the Rugby World Cup final game has said in the past that ‘there’s not much wrong with the laws when you have two teams that want to play,’ so why would World Rugby want to change them? Reports in New Zealand say that the sport’s governing body is planning to trial radical law changes in next season’s National Provincial Championship and other selected games including the Under-20 tournament.
Exciting law trials will take place in national competitions during 2015-16 seasons with the successful ones taken forward to global trial from 2017 according to World Rugby. These changes have in mind player welfare, law simplification and spectator experience as the core expectation.
A radical proposal is to change the sports scoring system is in order to promote attacking play in World Rugby where six points for a try, and two each for a conversion, penalty and drop goal are to be awarded. No conversions will be taken after a penalty try has been scored, instead teams will automatically be awarded eight points.
Two referees are expected to officiate together during New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship next year as part of World Rugby trial of proposed rule changes. World Rugby looks at making the game more and more to entertain and law changes are to be trialed. This is expected to involve the offside line in rucks and mauls being pushed one meter back and the gate being removed.
The intention is to create space on the rugby field and stops, forwards getting offside and preventing the back line moving. These changes will probably reduce the numbers of penalty offences. Changes are being made to provide the spectacle and make games more attractive. This is required to make the game appeal to nations outside the current lot.
The radical changes which are to be trialed in 2016 include: Two on-field referees. Players will no longer need to enter ‘through the gate’ meaning that players can attack the ball from anywhere provided a ruck has not been formed. Defenders can enter from any angle, provided they come from an onside position.Tackler can no longer go straight for the ball from any angle. The Offside line is to be one-metre behind the back foot.
Changes to the breakdown as trialed in New Zealand could see it made more difficult for defending teams to turnover possession. Under the laws being trialed, the term ‘ruck’ will be replaced by ‘breakdown’ and will be formed when just one attacking player was over the ball. This differs from the current definition, where a ruck is formed when one player from each team are on their feet, in physical contact, over the ball. Under the trialed laws, tacklers will have to roll away, return to an onside position one-metre behind the ruck, and only then return to the breakdown.
Apparently, the hope is to simplify things for fans, players and referees by bringing about less penalties at the tackle area. The proposed changes also include a faulty restart to be changed to a free kick at the centre as in Sevens Rugby. The hope is that these laws will encourage sides to pile numbers into the ruck in order to get a turnover, as opposed to one ‘poacher’ being able to do it all on his own. The changes are geared purely to give the attacking team an advantage in my opinion, with the new offside line and more numbers in the ruck providing more space to attack.
Thus we see a lot happening and there will be discussion on how it will affect the game in Sri Lanka. One that needs particular attention is the introduction of two officials. With numbers dwindling at the top end of referees the introduction of two referees will see a greater strain in finding numbers. The stakeholders have so far not being able to muster support from within to bolster the input of new material.
While trials are being held to make the game more attractive, Rio 2016 will see the Olympic debut of Rugby Sevens which was born in 1888. This will be a significant event for rugby. Will the carnival atmosphere of Sevens Rugby find its way to the Rio Olympics and make magic moments as rugby always does. The hope stands high following a successful World Cup in 2015 which drew much spectator and follower interest.
2016 is expected to be moving to consolidate the gains rugby is achieving in the world as a spectator sport and sevens will be the stimulus for creating opportunities for rugby as a global game. 2016 will, I believe, be focusing on entertainment and excitant the game offers. In expansion the game will see more interest being showered to more populous countries such as India, China, and Brazil etc. It will be about promoting the game to the people and the recent beach rugby event in Brazil was a forerunner to Rio 2016. It will be about people and the market that it will open to.
* Vimal Perera is a former player, coach, referee and an IRB Accredited Referees’ Educator