World Rugby boss ‘absolutely refutes’ claims of depowering the scrum with latest law trials
A scrum between South Africa and France and an inset of World Rugby Chairman Brett Robinson.
World Rugby boss Brett Robinson has hit out at the assertion that the game is heading towards a rugby league copy.
This comes as Super Rugby Pacific announced a host of law trials that look set to further limit the number of scrums in matches.
The tournament has ruled that accidental offsides and teams delaying playing the ball away from a ruck will result in free kicks rather than scrums.
Additionally, a player will be allowed to take quick taps within one metre either side of the mark, or anywhere behind the mark, if they are within that two-metre channel running parallel to the touchlines. Teams will be permitted to pass the ball back into their half before kicking a 50:22.
Finally, it will no longer be mandatory for the referee to issue a yellow or red card to a player on the defending team when awarding a penalty try, and any sanction will be at the discretion of the referee.
Super Rugby changes depower the scrums
Ahead of the Shape of the Game meeting that will be held later this month, Robinson believes that it is important that any changes made to the lawbook or interpretation are decided on now, with a short runway to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“We’ve got some things to iron out, which we’ve put on the table and want to deal with, as I said, in a couple of weeks’ time. But this conference for a week with our board meetings and the review process is really important that we land any change that we need and sort it by June, July,” the World Rugby boss told reporters after the release of the fixture for the tournament in Australia.
There is a notion that the further depowerment of the scrums in Super Rugby Pacific and previous law changes from the game’s governing body pushes rugby closer and closer to becoming like rugby league.
Former referee Mathieu Raynal was one of the high-profile figures to hit out at the changes in Super Rugby.
Speaking on Sud Radio, he said: “They [the southern hemisphere] want more passing, more tries, less time spent in mauls and scrums, whereas we [the northern hemisphere] defend these specific elements and are against directions being set by the southern hemisphere.”
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Robinson hits back
Robinson rejected the assertion that rugby is heading towards a rugby league-styled game, where the set-pieces are almost irrelevant, and pointed to Australia’s victory over South Africa last year as evidence that rugby was largely in good health.
“Absolutely [I refute that],” Robinson said when asked about the rugby league comparison.
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“I was very lucky to, on my way heading to the north [last year], go to Johannesburg to watch the Wallabies play in Ellis Park, and if you can’t believe what an amazing game of rugby that was, and how entertaining that was, and the response by the Wallabies; Australia haven’t beaten anyone there for 60-plus years.
“I think that’s a big call, and I think we’re a long way from that [rugby league]. And look, the Women’s World Cup was a great example as well. I mean, that was just an amazing tournament of joy, of opportunity; the November window, we had some wonderful Test matches.”
