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#Post#: 156685--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
Date: July 27, 2026, 8:47 am
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--- Quote from: T-Bone link ---
>
> One of rugby's biggest issues is the constant tinkering with
the laws, while refs collectively decide which laws they will
just ignore. So kitson's answer is to change more laws.
>
--- End Quote ---
This. Rugby is already falling behind trying to draw in new
younger audiences compared to other sports like the boxing or
mma programming. With the constant changing of the rules, even
die hard rugby fans can’t keep up with things, which simply just
puts off any potential fans as there’s just too many moving
parts
#Post#: 156686--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: Yareet
Date: July 27, 2026, 9:08 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: MaidstoneQuin link ---
>
> This. Rugby is already falling behind trying to draw in new
younger audiences compared to other sports like the boxing or
mma programming. With the constant changing of the rules, even
die hard rugby fans can’t keep up with things, which simply just
puts off any potential fans as there’s just too many moving
parts
>
--- End Quote ---
That sounds great but to implement the plan and I agree that
there have been multiple unintended consequences over the years.
However, if we're saying no more changes, we have to accept that
it will be the laws as they currently stand.
Otherwise, by definition we're asking for more changes.
#Post#: 156687--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: July 27, 2026, 11:10 am
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I don’t think that any sport can commit to no changes, rugby
needs to limit the amount of law changes and be honest when they
don’t work.
Recently there have been to many law changes that have not
worked as intended, perhaps the trials need to be better
accessed and reviewed.
#Post#: 156688--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: Yareet
Date: July 27, 2026, 11:33 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Rugbycat link ---
>
> I don’t think that any sport can commit to no changes, rugby
needs to limit the amount of law changes and be honest when they
don’t work.
>
> Recently there have been to many law changes that have not
worked as intended, perhaps the trials need to be better
accessed and reviewed.
>
--- End Quote ---
Limit the changes to just the ones that will work as intended?
Got it!
For clarity, I’m not advocating for wholesale changes every
season but at the moment there isn’t even consensus on what the
laws should be.
#Post#: 156689--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: July 28, 2026, 12:13 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> Limit the changes to just the ones that will work as intended?
Got it!
>
> For clarity, I’m not advocating for wholesale changes every
season but at the moment there isn’t even consensus on what the
laws should be.
>
--- End Quote ---
Getting a meaningful consensus on law changes, good luck on
that, at present the law changes have to be supported by the
world rugby council, so there is in theory a consensus, the
reality is that individual countries present ideas that if
supported get trialled and then implemented which is not really
working, the sheer number of changes is at present excessive and
are often similar to a binary chemical weapon, safe on their own
but toxic when put put together.
As far as only changes that work, all that I am saying is that
you have to analyse law changes and drop or change those that
don’t work, or have unintended consequences, which is not
happening at present.
Also look at the laws already in place that are often not
implemented by referees before introducing new ones.
#Post#: 156702--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: Yareet
Date: July 28, 2026, 3:43 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Rugbycat link ---
>
> Getting a meaningful consensus on law changes, good luck on
that, at present the law changes have to be supported by the
world rugby council, so there is in theory a consensus, the
reality is that individual countries present ideas that if
supported get trialled and then implemented which is not really
working, the sheer number of changes is at present excessive and
are often similar to a binary chemical weapon, safe on their own
but toxic when put put together.
>
> As far as only changes that work, all that I am saying is that
you have to analyse law changes and drop or change those that
don’t work, or have unintended consequences, which is not
happening at present.
>
> Also look at the laws already in place that are often not
implemented by referees before introducing new ones.
>
--- End Quote ---
OK picking that apart:
Your first sentence is exactly my point
Define "excessive". This point was started with a suggested
freeze on law changes. Now it's fine to have some changes but we
should "change those that don't work". So we are making changes.
But which laws don't work and for whom?
Surely the whole reason why there are law changes is because
somebody thinks the existing laws don't work which would be
contrary to the thrust of your argument.
Lastly, my understanding is that there are regular meeting
between players, coaches, refs and administrators to agree what
laws will be implemented. If you don't like what the refs are
doing (as a whole rather than individually) it will probably be
a result of those meetings. So the players and coaches are
equally to blame.
#Post#: 156710--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: July 28, 2026, 4:58 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I'd like to see Southern Hemisphere stop having overly much sway
over Law changes.
#Post#: 156719--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: July 28, 2026, 11:07 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Yareet link ---
>
> OK picking that apart:
>
> Your first sentence is exactly my point
>
> Define "excessive". This point was started with a suggested
freeze on law changes. Now it's fine to have some changes but we
should "change those that don't work". So we are making changes.
But which laws don't work and for whom?
>
> Surely the whole reason why there are law changes is because
somebody thinks the existing laws don't work which would be
contrary to the thrust of your argument.
>
> Lastly, my understanding is that there are regular meeting
between players, coaches, refs and administrators to agree what
laws will be implemented. If you don't like what the refs are
doing (as a whole rather than individually) it will probably be
a result of those meetings. So the players and coaches are
equally to blame.
>
--- End Quote ---
The kicking changes have not worked, more injuries and more
kicking, the complete opposite of what they were intended to
achieve.
Law changes are suggested through the world rugby council so
come from individual unions, unions can ask referees to
implement what existing laws they want, look at Scrums in
France, and how they are policed.
So that is on a national level level, which further complicates
international and European competition, most of the recent
changes have not been fully considered, tackle height which does
not police the ball carrier, goal line drop outs replacing the
5m scrum, where the defence pulls the attacker over the line to
hold them up.
A more relevant question would be which recent law changes have
achieved what they set out to, and we are now seeing Law changes
to address the problems that law changes have created, instead
of just saying that didn’t work and reverting to the previous
laws.
#Post#: 156720--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: never sleep
Date: July 28, 2026, 12:31 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Rugbycat link ---
>
> The kicking changes have not worked, more injuries and more
kicking, the complete opposite of what they were intended to
achieve.
>
> Law changes are suggested through the world rugby council so
come from individual unions, unions can ask referees to
implement what existing laws they want, look at Scrums in
France, and how they are policed.
>
> So that is on a national level level, which further
complicates international and European competition, most of the
recent changes have not been fully considered, tackle height
which does not police the ball carrier, goal line drop outs
replacing the 5m scrum, where the defence pulls the attacker
over the line to hold them up.
>
> A more relevant question would be which recent law changes
have achieved what they set out to, and we are now seeing Law
changes to address the problems that law changes have created,
instead of just saying that didn’t work and reverting to the
previous laws.
>
>
--- End Quote ---
I also think that some of the laws appear to be gimmicks - e.g.
the 50-22. Has it really added anything to the game?
I don't like rule about doing away with the 5m scrum. A goal
line kick out is too much of a benefit.
Forcing the oppo scrum half to stay on his side of the scrum -
- that takes away the skill of a scrum half.
The skew line out rule. It sounds like a good idea - but, you
sometimes get hookers throwing the ball at 45 degrees and
getting away with it.
The rules about tackling players in the air. This sounds like an
excellent rule based on safety grounds. But, now everyone puts
themselves in danger by jumping to catch everything.
I know that they trial rules for a little while before
implementing them. But, I don't think that they run trials for
long enough to see how the behavioral change impacts everything
else.
Sometimes the negative behavioral changes are quite quick and
the trial rules get dropped. But, sometimes it takes a few
seasons for teams to start gaming the system. Buy then, the
trial has been implemented and it is too late.
e.g. a few seasons back they tried changing the penalty kick to
1 point in the hope that there would be more running rugby and
more tries. It worked for a few weeks. After that, they found
that teams were giving away loads more penalties as they knew
that no one would bother kicking them. They also found that
there were loads of tries - but each one was from a catch and
drive. So, teams just put all of their focus on maul defence.
Within a month or so, the games were as dull as anything and the
law trial was scrapped.
#Post#: 156721--------------------------------------------------
Re: Nations Championship fails to solve rugby’s ability to get
in the way of itself
DIR By: Yareet
Date: July 28, 2026, 12:57 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
50:22 is one I was going to say has worked exactly as planned.
Instead of 14 players across the park in defence, teams now have
2-3 players covering the back field meaning there is either more
space created or more fatigue being put into the players.
The banning of escort lines has also changed the game. IMO there
is less kick tennis (which I consider dull) and more kick to
compete (which I think has more possibility for the kicking team
to retain the ball).
Kicking isn’t inherently bad. Kick tennis is.
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