Today, I’m joined by New Zealand Rugby’s Mike Hester to chat about their law variations for the 2023 rugby season. They include a lower tackle height, a restriction on scrum halves and for the pack as a whole. All three are important for all referees and match officials across Aotearoa.
Mike is NZR’s Game Participation Manager, and he tells me about:
- His background as an elite referee – in football!
- His shift into game participation
- The shape of New Zealand rugby and the challenges they face
- The tackle height changes in New Zealand for 2023 and what’s behind them
- Other changes in the game – scrum half restrictions, 1.5m push
- Future consultation on changes to the breakdown
- Referee recruitment and retention in NZ – this is the research Mike mentions about the early refereeing experience of community referees
More on the changes: New Zealand Rugby game innovations 2023
Contact Mike via LinkedIn
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