Radical new proposals to help improve player welfare will get a second airing this week in the wake of chilling statistics surrounding the safety of rugby.
World Rugby's Law Review Group (LRG) meets in London on Thursday and Friday when players, coaches, referees, law-makers and administrators will evaluate trials of law amendments designed to enhance injury prevention.
The proposals were first mooted in March when some startling data was discussed, including a 50% increase of ball-in-play time since 1987 (bigger increases in northern hemisphere competitions were recorded).
The tackle count was found to have gone up by a massive 252% while scrums had decreased by 56%.
Statistics also showed tackles now account for 50% of all injuries on the rugby pitch and 76% of all concussions. And 72% of head injuries occur to the tackler.
Those injury rates have prompted World Rugby to try and implement ways of reducing the number of injuries in the tackle through amendments to the laws.
These are far-reaching and include:
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50:22 kick proposal: Under this law a kick from within your own half (your own 50 metre area) that bounces in-field before crossing the touchline in the opposition 22 would see the kicking team get the throw at the lineout. It is similar to the 40:20 rule in rugby league and is designed to create space by encouraging team's to deploy players deeper in defence back rather than cramming the defensive front-line;
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Reduction in the number of permitted substitutions;
- When off their feet at the ruck, players must leave the ball, hopefully creating a greater contest at the ruck to speed up ball availability;
- Delaying the movement of the ruck defensive line to reduce defensive line speed;
- Lowering the permitted tackle height;
- Allowing reviews of yellow cards for dangerous foul play.
The LRG will examine each proposal and make recommendations to the international federation’s Rugby Committee as to which proposals are suitable for trial.
They will also analyse the latest data from the recent World Rugby Under-20 Championship where a high tackle technique warning system operated, focusing on removing high-risk tackles by encouraging player behaviour change.
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We are committed to ensuring that rugby is as simple and safe to play for all and the quadrennial law review process is the vehicle in which we review current law with a view to enhancing the experience for players and fans.
“This is the first time that we have kick-started the process with the sole purpose of injury-prevention and the Law Review Group will give detailed consideration and analysis of the Marcoussis recommendations and to determine practicality and likely impact and therefore which ideas, if any, would be suitable for trial recommendation after Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.”
LRG and Rugby Committee chairman John Jeffrey added: “By the end of the week we will have a clear mandate to take forward to the Rugby Committee in terms of the law amendments and trials for potential implementation within the next four-year cycle.”
