Players help “shape the game” in London

Rugby’s laws were debated in London this week with players giving their views on what needs to change in the game.

Players, referees, coaches, union bosses and decision makers from across the globe attended the “Shape of the Game” conference, where many of the topical issues facing the game were highlighted. 

International Rugby Players was represented by CEO Omar Hassanein, Head of High Performance and Player Welfare Conrad Smith, Head of Women’s Rugby Rachael Burford, along with former players Jamie Roberts (Wales) Ugo Monye (England) Aruba Chintoh (Canada) and Dean Mumm (Australia).

Among the measures discussed, the controversial “croc roll” at the ruck will be taken out of the game and the “Dupont law” which has resulted in long spells of kicking during some matches, will also become a thing of the past. 

There will also be focus on speeding up the ‘use it’ call by referees at the breakdown, removing repeated scrums options, expanding the remit of the shot clock, a review of the offside law from kicks, as well as looking at providing the scrum-half with greater space and protection at the base of scrum, rucks and mauls.

Speaking after the conference, Conrad Smith said: “There are a lot of challenges (facing our game) but people were upfront and honest about that. The focus was tryng to fix the product on the field and there were a lot of great ideas. It was a joy to sit down with coaches and referees and nut it out and there was real value in that. Hopefully we can see real change in the weeks and months ahead.”

Player representative, Aruba Chintoh, said: “We had a really fan focused lens on our discussions this time. How to make the game exciting for the existing fans, the people who love rugby, and how to make it exciting for those coming into rugby for the first time but also, all those other people that rugby doesn’t really touch – how do we get them to see our content, share our content and understand the game a little bit easier?”

Christian Day from England’s Rugby Players Association said that the work needs to start now: “Changes need to be made in some areas and I think thre’s a lot of discussion and positive chat about how we get there but it’s still going to take a lot of work.

“It’s all about the fans really…that fan engagement, that fan love for the game… we want to retain that. We’re really proud of what the game is but we also know that we need to change it up and we need to keep advancing,” he added.