- All five welfare-focused Law trials adopted into full law
- Scrum brake foot to become new global law trial from 1 July
- New laws reaffirm rugby’s ongoing commitment to injury-prevention at all levels
- Focus on side entry and breakdown to become new Law Application Guideline
- No mention of 20 min red card after recent speculation it was being discussed for global roll-out
World Rugby Council, their top governing committee, today voted unanimously to adopt five welfare driven global trials into full law from 1 July. This means that the upcoming summer internationals, women’s and men’s Rugby World Cups will all feature the current package of global welfare-driven law trials. They will continue at all levels of the game.
All five trials were deemed to have enhanced both safety and spectacle and therefore the 50:22. GLDO, stopping pre-bound pods/flying wedge, latching and jackler protection at the breakdown were unanimously approved by the Council.
Scrum brake foot
The scrum brake foot, trialed in this years’ men’s, women’s and U20’s Six Nations Championships, will move from a closed trial, to global trial across the world from 1 July 2022. This will mandate the hooker to have a foot forward during “Crouch” and “Bind” calls. It should be in position until the call of “Set” in the engagement sequence when the brake foot can be withdrawn.
This is aimed at reducing the forces and pressures, known as axial loading, that can be put on the hookers head and neck during the scrum engagement sequence. This again has been driven by player representations through the law review process.
World Rugby’s Laws Review Group and High Performance Rugby Committee made the recommendations to the World Rugby Council following detailed analysis of welfare and shape of the game data as well as feedback from the Game, including players, coaches, match officials, medics and public.
Council’s approval brings to a close a process that began with union submissions on potential welfare-focused law amendments at the 2018 Player Welfare and Laws Symposium in France. Those deemed by the Law Review Group to be the most effective were progressed through a programme of detailed evaluation and feedback (including public consultation) before closed law trials were approved in 2020 before the most impactful progressed to global law trials in July 2021.
Law clarifications and minor amendments
The Council also approved minor amendments to the laws to accommodate law clarifications raised by member unions since 2016, adding clarity to those respective areas of law. RugbyReferee.net will bring those to you when they are all formalised but will include making clear players can’t jump into or over a tackler, a ball-carrying player cannot slide back in a maul, as well clarity on in-goal and GLDO outcomes.
No 20 min red card replacement roll out
In World Rugby’s communications today about the law trials and new laws, there is no mention of the 20 minute red card replacement. Recent speculation had suggested it was being debated by the laws review process, but the global split on the proposals clearly haven’t been resolved. It remains a closed law trial in Super Rugby.
Constant evaluation
World Rugby say they will continue to evaluate the impact of the new laws against the central objective of supporting positive welfare outcomes, including head injury prevention, as the only sport that gathers and publishes game-wide injury data.
Side entry focus
Following representation from member unions and player groups, there will be a renewed focus on side entry by both attacking and defending players at the breakdown. This reinforces player protection and safety and ensures a fair contest for the ball in this dynamic area of the game. This will come in the form of a Law Application Guideline to be confirmed at the international match officials camp to be held ahead of the July international fixtures.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “Rugby’s laws are fundamental to its accessibility, appeal and safety. It is our mission to ensure that the laws are the best that they can be for everyone playing the game and the approval of these laws following detailed evaluation and widespread consultation, underscores that commitment.
“I would like to thank every player, coach and medic at every level for participating and providing feedback on this trial – your views are important to us and we will continue to consult with you as we work together to cement rugby as the most progressive sport on player welfare.”
World Rugby Chief Player Welfare and Rugby Services Officer Mark Harrington added: “Law evaluation is an important facet of our holistic approach to reducing the risk of injury in the sport and we continually monitor, review and evolve the laws of the game with the ambition of making rugby as simple and safe as possible.
“The majority of these trials were born from the 2018 Player Welfare and Laws Symposium and reflect the sport’s united and unwavering intent when it comes to protecting players at all levels. Each new law has been developed with the input of experts and reflect an evidence-based approach to reducing higher-risk behaviours by changing the nature of the contact area of the game or reducing overall contact in a game situation.
“We never stand still when it comes to welfare and in addition to this important work, we are near completion of a ground-breaking study into the frequency and nature of head impacts in community and elite rugby in partnership with the University of Otago and University of Ulster, undertaking further women-specific research and validation of the contact training guidance published last year. All of these priority strands will inform the decisions we make to advance welfare for players at all levels of the game.”
Age Grade Rugby
Edit: When it comes to age grade rugby, it is down to individual Unions to determine which laws are used, and at what age.
