They’ve certainly had a detrimental effect in England. An injury audit taken early last month revealed that ten of the Premiership’s twelve clubs had suffered a combined 82 first-team injuries through the first four rounds of the campaign.
Premiership clubs were forced to delay several matches and postpone several others. One game was called off after an ambulance failed to arrive on site, perhaps because it was needed at another rugby game.
Meanwhile, World Rugby, the new, official name for the IRB, says it is too early to draw a link between the spate of injuries this season and the new global law changes. However, research by the Rugby Football Union suggests otherwise.
An RFU report found an increase in the average number of tackles (11.4%), “involvements” (8.8%) and rucks (11.9%) per match, while the number of collisions is way up.
Dr. Jamie Roberts of the Harlequins and Wales Centre, is among those who suggests that the increases are a result of the law changes introduced in the northern hemisphere in August, designed to make the game “simpler to play and referee, as well as further promoting player welfare”, and are contributing to the glut of recent injuries that has left a number of squads decimated.
The EOTY tour matches featuring the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks will all be played under these new rules. All these squads have already been wounded by injuries and will not be at their very best. Neither will England with Billy Vunipola, Tuilagi, Daly, Newell and now another winger, Jonny May, sidelined.
Many rugby scribes, refs and coaches feel that the game needs a drastic overhaul. For example, a consensus recommends that all test squads number 30 players and that no player should be on the field for more than 60 minutes.
The majority also feels that the breakdown should be looked at and another, safer way found to compete for a player-grounded ball.
Everybody knows that something has to be done. Rugby’s reputation has become so dark that some schools in Britain are considering playing touch rugby only.
And that will lead to the kinder, gentler Sevens version becoming the rugby game of choice.
Sevens is a great game, but so is fifteens, and if we don’t alter the laws so that the players stand a better chance of staying healthy, we could end up with 70% of a team on the field and the other 30% watching from the stands.
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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He was born 1905, 1904 or 1908 according to various reports, in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, and is remembered as one of the great Māori players.
