Not all World Rugby's moves to enhance the game’s entertainment value will sit well with the die-hards.
Increasingly the gladiatorial battle grounds that helped establish the sport’s popularity finds itself sacrificed at the altar of health and safety and the pursuit of spectacle.
Earlier this week in an attempt the grow the game’s global audience, rugby’s ruling body announced a phased plan to help make the sport more of a spectacle.
In phase one they seek to reinforce existing laws, while phase two deals with law amendments due for adoption. In phase three, competition owners are encouraged to adopt closed trials, while phase four seeks further exploration of aspects as identified by the Shape of the Game forum. All are geared to making the sport more spectator friendly, and draw new eyeballs.
While the overarching motivation to improve the game should be commended, there are some aspects that draw the sport away from its traditional strengths.
One of the law amendments will see the scrum being removed as an option for teams who have earned a free kick. Sure, it will speed things up, but teams with a superior set piece will bemoan that opportunity now lost.
There has been the gradual emasculation of the scrum and the removal of the set piece as a free-kick option is another shove in that direction.
Unions and competition owners will also be encouraged to introduce an amendment that will obligate the attacking team to play the ball immediately after the maul grinds to a halt. The law had made provision for the referee to issue a first warning but teams will no longer have a second bite.
Rolling with the punches
The scrum and maul have been traditional strengths of South African rugby but Springbok utility forward Deon Fourie is not overly concerned by the latest developments. The Boks, he said , have learnt to roll with the punches. “There aren’t that many free kicks in a game,” he said in relation to the scrum being removed as a free-kick option.
“We pulled that scrum free-kick move in the French game. The game will adapt. If you don’t adapt you die. Rassie (Erasmus, Bok head coach) and the coaches are clever enough to work around that and come up with new plans.”
Change is in rugby’s DNA. Two hundred years ago we were born from a desire to change, and we are harnessing that same spirit to excite the next generation of fans and players
— Sir Bill Beaumont
The sight of the maul caterpillaring along in fits and starts appears something of the past. “You’ll probably just have to work harder before the first contact,” advised Fourie. “Maybe get what we did against England. You think you’ve got a maul but you pull it and run,” he said about introducing the surprise element.
The game’s law makers are keen for the game to flow more, but rugby, as some of the game’s traditionalists may want to point out, isn’t intended to be pretty all the time. That’s why an eye for a gap, deftness of touch, speed and agility are so appreciated when it does come to the fore.
The point that is often made is that the game should be for piano movers and players. The game has always welcomed all body types and is supposed to have a home for brute strength, top drawer technique, quick minds, dexterous hands and nimble feet.
Need to grow audiences
Audiences need to grow though.
The new Law Application Guidelines will come into effect globally from March 19. The World Rugby Council will consider a package of Shape of the Game forum recommendations at its next meeting on May 9. Some measures will take longer consideration and will be introduced in line with the defined moratorium windows for the men’s, women’s and sevens’ formats.
“Change is in rugby’s DNA,” said World Rugby chair Sir Bill Beaumont. “Two hundred years ago we were born from a desire to change, and we are harnessing that same spirit to excite the next generation of fans and players. The moves that we are making are grounded in our commitment to increasing relevance on a global basis and born from a desire to change for the better.
“That means being bold, embracing change by dialling up the entertainment value, making our stars more accessible and simplifying terminology and language used to explain rugby to those who are yet to fall in love with it.”
