World Rugby issues statement on new TMO standards as ‘hub’ innovation debuts
Referee Luke Pearce during a TMO review in the Investec Champions Cup.
World Rugby has updated the minimum standards of television match official services for international-level competitions, while the game’s governing body will debut a remote TMO hub at the World Rugby Nations Cup and Junior World Championship.
As part of a core commitment from the Shape of the Game meeting, World Rugby is working with the game’s stakeholders to determine the ‘optimal TMO scope’, with former New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson heading up the review.
According to World Rugby chief of rugby Mark Robinson, these innovations are the ‘first steps in a deep dive review’ of the TMO, with one of the objectives being to cut down on costs.
New Minimum operator standards for the TMO
The 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup semi-final between Bath and Union Bordeaux Begles proved to be incredibly controversial after three dangerous tackles went unpunished during the match.
Bath boss Johann van Graan took aim at the French TV directors after his team’s exit from the competition as he was irked by the lack of consistency around the availability of additional angles supplied to the TMO.
The set-up used in France for that fixture meant that the broadcaster had to feed video footage and imagery through to the TMO, with the fourth official not having independent access to all the angles.
In the new minimum standards for international-level competitions that will need to be adopted by August 2027, this will not be the case, according to World Rugby.
“These standards formalise practices undertaken across men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups and World Rugby’s 15s competitions, and competitions are urged to adopt as soon as practically possible,” a statement from the game’s governing body read.
“Under the new standards, competitions must meet criteria designed to support faster, more accurate decision-making, improve consistency, promote cost-efficient operational excellence and enhance fan experience.
Summary of the minimum standards
1. All camera angles available to broadcast must be made available to the TMO and foul play review officer (FPRO)
2. Footage being displayed to the referee must come directly from the TMO station and control of what images are being shown must be the responsibility of the TMO
3. TMO and FPRO operators must be properly qualified in line with World Rugby’s recently developed course.
4. Technology providers should be able to meet the expected functionality to enable TMOs to review all footage efficiently and thoroughly
World Rugby cannot enforce these requirements on the club game, meaning that the aforementioned occurrence can occur again in the Champions Cup unless the EPCR invest in better software and technology for next season’s competition.
However, World Rugby ‘encourages that some, if not all, of the approaches are applied’ by the club tournaments going forward but clarified that ‘there is no requirement for them to do so at this time’.
These standards have been operational in World Rugby competitions since Rugby World Cup 2015 and the governing body hopes that unions adopting the same approach will help improve the experience for match officials, broadcasters and fans alike. “The use of officiating technology is one of the most debated areas in our sport,” World Rugby chief of rugby Robinson said.
“It is important for match officials, teams, competition owners and fans that rugby has a consistent, effective and efficient environment in place that can be trusted to deliver the right outcome without impairing the game flow and experience. These innovations are the first steps in a deep dive review of this area. Not only will they aid on-field outcomes, but significantly they also support cost-effectiveness for the game.”
New TMO Hub
Meanwhile, World Rugby also announced that a remote television match official (TMO) hub will debut at the World Rugby Nations Cup and Junior World Championship events. Currently, TMOs and foul play review officers are on location at matches, using a variety of technologies and set-ups, whereas the TMOs selected for the two competitions will operate from one central World Rugby TMO hub, based in the UK.
“The innovation builds on previous remote foul play review officer locations at Rugby World Cup 2023 and 2025,” the statement added. “It reflects World Rugby’s ongoing programme of officiating technology reforms aimed at enhancing on-field outcomes, delivering consistency of service and reducing overall investment for competition organisers.
“With Nations Cup matches taking place in the Americas in July and the Junior World Championship underway in Georgia, World Rugby is partnering with Hawk-Eye to deliver the hub at their headquarters in Basingstoke, England. The system will continue to enable the TMO to review all camera angles independent of broadcast direction, supporting greater speed and consistency of decision-making.
“TMOs will also have access to split screen and zoom technology, making it easier for decisions around scoring and in-touch. The innovation reflects World Rugby’s commitment to evaluating the optimal scope and use of technology for the TMO, which was a key action from the Shape of the Game meetings in February.”
