Two new law trials are set to reinvigorate play in the upcoming season of the National Rugby Championship, which begins on August 31.
Teams will now be rewarded for strong defence with a goal-line drop-out when the ball is held up in the in-goal area.
They will also be recognised for aggressive territorial kicking with the introduction of a 50:22 play.
Attacking teams that boot the ball indirectly from open play or a free kick within their own half and land it either within their opponent’s 22 or touchline will earn a lineout throw.
The two law changes emulate rules that exist within rugby league, with the 13-man code already enforcing a goal-line drop-out for teams which hold up opponents in their in-goal area.
Additionally, the 50:22 play is a variant of the 40/20 rule that already exists in league, whereby players who indirectly find the sideline in the opposition’s 20 metre mark with their boot from inside their own 40 metre mark retain the ball.
Such rule changes in union will likely result in more attacking kicking throughout this season’s NRC as the emphasis on territory and field position intensifies.
The NRC will also introduce lunchtime kick-offs scheduled around the Rugby World Cup, allowing fans to enjoy both the domestic competition and the Wallabies’ adventures in Tokyo on TV.
Use of suburban grounds, such as Apex Oval in Dubbo and Viking Park in Canberra, will be continued.
RugbyPass
Der Vollpfosten IRB can't stop tinkering. Now we hear there are too many rucks, which lead to injury. The solution? Encourage more kicking to decrease the number of rucks. They are bemoaning the decrease in scrums too, when eleven years ago we were told it was something that needed to go for the betterment of the game. These fools are ruining what once was a special and beautiful game. If you want safe sport, why not build an arena where we can tickle each other with government approved safety feathers, we can do it in a newly built stadium: Safe Space Park. The first to giggle concedes a point. Half-time belly rubs, along with milk and cookies for all.
