Rugby all brute force and no flair, it needs to change
This article is written by Progressive Rugby
Laws need to be changed so teams can compete for possession and there’s more space on the field or risk losing its appeal, says Progressive Rugby follower Martyn Lindley.
“It used to be that players were able to beat opposing players through a combination of vision, skill and flair,” says Martyn, who played both rugby union and rugby league and lists Australian flyer David Campese as the best player he ever saw.
“But now it’s all about brute force and winning the high impact collisions – often a case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object - so it’s no wonder there are so many injuries.
“The rules at present favour the team in possession. Provided they don’t make a mistake with their ‘driving phases’ they can virtually keep possession indefinitely.
“Apart from rugby purists, the average supporter is more concerned about supporting their team and experiencing and enjoying the occasion.
“At the moment 7's rugby is a far better sporting spectacle to watch as it can be won by skill and flair as opposed to someone missing a tackle or making a mistake.
“If rugby became a more open and expansive game it certainly would be a better watch and probably incur far less head injuries. In order for that to happen space needs to be created for players to utilise and exploit.”
Martyn’s quick fixes:
- Reduce teams to 13 by removing flankers from the game.
“This automatically creates space by having fewer players on the pitch and would also reduce the amount and change the angle of force that is being applied in the scrum.”
- Encourage teams to contest rucks
“Change the rules at the breakdown to make it far easier for the team not in possession to win the ball. At present they don’t contest rucks for fear of being penalised and instead just close down any space on the field making it harder to score.
- Push back the offside line at the breakdown in open play
“This will again create space that gives the attacking team more time to evaluate the situation and exploit a gap and hopefully ‘check’ the defensive line. I believe that would also reduce the opportunity for the potentially dangerous man and ball tackle.”
- Sort the advantage rule out
“There needs to be some sort of differentiation for how long an advantage lasts. Currently it seems to be until the opposition scores.”
By publishing Progressive Rugby is not endorsing the proposals but encouraging debate amongst the rugby community.
“Apart from rugby purists, the average supporter is more concerned about supporting their team and experiencing and enjoying the occasion.”