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Changes ahead? Rugby rules meeting to begin Thursday
Posted: Wednesday December 01, 1999 09:19 PM
SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) -- Top rugby union officials meet in Sydney this week to develop crowd-pleasing improvements to the game after disappointment at the spectacle on offer at the World Cup. Rugby's showcase event was criticized for being dull and defense-orientated. Australia conceded just one try in its six-game run to the championship. The starting point for any changes is this week's International Rugby Board "Playing the game" conference, which runs from Thursday to Monday. IRB game development manager Lee Smith said the main purpose of the conference was to create more "space" on the field. "It seems to be reasonable at lineout and scrum; it's once play gets under way that the problem exists," Smith said. "There are other major [problems] with the tackle and the ruck as well as a range of smaller issues, such as sinbins, substitutions, and players' dress -- items that don't really have an impact on the way the actual game is played." The Southern Hemisphere's SANZAR countries -- Australia, New Zealand and South Africa -- held a meeting in Sydney this week to develop a unified approach to the meeting after several of their ideas were shot down by Northern Hemisphere nations at previous meetings. SANZAR want the IRB to approve the use of video referees to rule on contentious tries, as well as introducing sin-bins for repeat offenders and simplifying the laws at the breakdown. "This end of the market is very much the entertainment end and we're competing not just with other sports...we're competing for the discretionary dollar," Australian Rugby union boss John O'Neill said. South African rugby union chief executive Rian Oberholtzer said the World Cup should not be used as a yardstick because its competitive nature caused teams to become defensive. "If the game is not exciting, it will not grow, not in Australia, not in South Africa, not in New Zealand -- and not in the world. If you really want to make it a world game, it needs to be a bit more of a spectacle," he said. The Northern Hemisphere nations' proposals include outlawing shoulder pads and headgear.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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