In 2006, the IRB created a Laws Project Group (LPG), the members being Bill Nolan, Rod Macqueen, Ian McIntosh, Richie Dixon, Pierre Villepreux, Graham Mourie, Paddy O’Brien, and Bruce Cook.
The scope of this committee was to develop rugby laws that …
1. Allowed the ball to be in play longer
2. Created a game for all shapes and sizes
3. Allowed the game to be easier to understand
4. Made it easier to referee.
5. Ensure result was determined by the players and not the officials
6. Reduced the domination of defence over attack
7. Allowed more options for players
8. d stoppages.
As it was noted in Wikipedia: “The problems observed with the current laws mostly revolve around the fact that in practice the contest for the ball is often halted through law infringements. Different referees use different interpretations of the complex laws, resulting in many games being decided by penalty goals awarded by referees for infringements that are not immediately obvious to observers or even the players” – Stellenbosh Laws
Further, there was the questions of money and ELVs:
“The chairman of its ‘Laws Project Group’ no less – admitted as much back at the start.“We’d be very silly if we didn’t realise that, especially since the game went professional, there is a commercial element to the ELVs,” said Bill Nolan back in 2006” – ‘ELVs: It’s McRugby, for cash’, by Andy Jackson
You would immediately think, ‘how dare anybody take on such an esteemed group of gentlemen to challenge their findings’.
Easy, it’s a committee and they are subject to compromise, bias, power struggles and fracturing common sense.
I hope you can see the holes already. They are:
1. Where are the retired representatives from the largest playing union in the world, the English Rugby Football Union?
2. Where are the Irish, Welsh and Argentenenian representatives?
3. The committee is dominated with representatives from countries that favour one style of play (running out wide, and not the tight forward battles (like England and Argentina). Yes I do prefer the earlier, but I must be fair.
4. The committee is dominated with representatives from countries that suffer the most from ‘player drain’ (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa).
After round eleven of Super 14 Rugby 2008, this is how I graded the success of each of the objectives (for the Super Rugby version of ELVs):
– Allowed the ball to be in play longer: PASS
– A game for all shapes and sizes: FAIL, completely. 125 kg Os du Rant would have to loose 15 kg to play today’s game, and would you pick the 75 kg ex All Black wing Terry Wright today?
– Allowed the game to be simpler and easier to understand: PASS
– Easier to referee: PASS
– To have the game determined by the players and not the officials: PASS
– Reduce the domination of defence over attack: FAIL, completely and utterly failed. The domination of the ‘field wide defence trench’ has blossomed with the ELVs.
– More options for players: FAIL, a strong defensive side eliminates the options. See (6).
– Reduce game stoppages: PASS
So I guess I would have to say that the committee has achieved a pass mark (5 out of 8). I also can conclude that the ELVs go along way to transfer the winning of the game from referees to players.
The fact the ELVs have been extensively trialled does give confidence that the exercise has gone from A4 paper to the rugby field successfully, but it seams that is all that it has done.
I would have hoped that the esteemed committee would have uncovered the ELVs flaws. I guess that is what the world wide trial period is for. Let’s hope it is!
I also wonder how much the commercial element of the rugby laws played a part in the choice of laws selected. For example, why was ‘hands in the ruck’ preferred over traditional ‘rucking’. Have the broadcasters said that ‘rucking’ is bad for ratings?
I feel that the fault is not with the performance of the committee, but rather sits with the flawed construction of the committee’s scope.
Remember this quote by Iggy Pop:
“They say that death kills you, but death doesn’t kill you. Boredom and indifference kill you.”
This quote highlights that rugby union greatest sin is to be boring and indifferent.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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