The 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season kicks off this weekend and they will be implementing all the Global Law Trials that came in from World Rugby on 1 January.
As a competition that has always looked to innovate there is a minor tweak in one area, plus SRP will be retaining their off field review process using the TMO rather than an additional bunker official.
The tweak: For lineouts which aren’t straight (but where the defending team do compete for the ball) the sanction will move from a scrum/LO option to a FK on the 15m line.
Sanzaar, the Super Rugby competition owner, say the “innovations aim to enhance the flow of the game with reduced stoppages and faster resumptions of play, while referees will also be empowered to lead decision-making with the competition again limiting unprompted intervention from television match officials (TMOs).”
This season will also see Super Rugby Pacific roll out standardised on-screen graphics to help communicate referee decisions to the fans in the stands and they’ll be working with stadia to broadcast referee microphones in-stadium at key moments – TMO decisions, foul play sanctions etc.
“For several years Super Rugby Pacific has led the world with significant law innovations and many of those innovations have now been adopted by World Rugby,” Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley said. “In 2025 we have made the deliberate choice to consolidate and refine rather than implement more dramatic change.”
New laws for Super Rugby Pacific in 2025 include:
- Time restrictions (conversions and penalty goals): Players will have 60 seconds to attempt conversions and penalty goals. This was previously 90 seconds for conversions. This is a Global Law Trial
- Play on from not-straight lineout throws: If the non-throwing team does not lift a teammate to compete for the ball, then play shall continue. If the non-throwing team lifts a teammate to compete for the ball, a free kick is awarded to the non-throwing team. The awarding of a free kick rather than a scrum is a change to the World Rugby global law trial specific to Super Rugby Pacific, to promote the flow of game.
- Protection of 9 at ruck, maul and defensive positions at scrum (Global law trial)
- Starting play in Super Point (drawn matches): The team who scores the first try in regular time has the choice to kick off or receive in Super Point, which was formerly known as Golden Point. This replaces the coin toss.
Returning law innovations include:
- TMO referrals driven by on-field team: TMOs will only intervene unprompted if the on-field match officials have missed a piece of serious foul play, or a clear and obvious infringement leading to a try. This aims to improve decision-making and accuracy, while benefitting the flow and integrity of the game.
- 20-minute red card: Players who perform an act of foul play that is considered to have met the red card threshold, but is assessed as not deliberate or with a high degree of danger, will receive a red card but can be replaced after 20 minutes from the time of the incident.
- Any incident of foul play that contains dangerous actions and is adjudicated at a yellow card level on field will automatically be reviewed by the TMO during the 10-minute period the player is off the field. The possible sanctions are:
- Yellow card sanction in which the player is entitled to return at the conclusion of the 10-minute period; or
- Red card sanction in which the player is removed from the match but is permitted to be replaced after 20 minutes from the time of the incident.
- Any incident of foul play that contains dangerous actions and is adjudicated at a yellow card level on field will automatically be reviewed by the TMO during the 10-minute period the player is off the field. The possible sanctions are:
- A full red card sanction, in which the player is removed from the match and not replaced, is still applicable when foul play is deemed deliberate and with a high level of danger.
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