There was a skirmish in the rugby Law War on Saturday night in Hamilton, New Zealand. In this 61-point game, Whistle Rugby lost narrowly with 30 points from 10 penalty goals, to Real Rugby’s 31 points from everything else.
Meanwhile in the Tri-Nations campaign to date, Whistle Rugby with 204 points from 68 penalty goals easily leads Real Rugby on 159.
Attentive readers will know that the main aim of Whistle Rugby is pretty mad. It is to bring about a whistle-blast within a particular 40 percent or so of the grass. It is a negative game dominated by the punishment of misdemeanours (no small number of which are actually milked).
Attentive and thoughtful readers will know that Real Rugby has the sane aim of rewarding positive behaviours, the strength, speed, skill, athleticism, courage, toughness, teamwork and intelligence needed to score tries, convert them and pot drop goals.
It is not too hard to imagine a 21st century rugby dominated rationally by rewarding the positive rather than penalizing the negative with large numbers of much-rewarded penalty goals. A game with laws that enable this despite the vastly improved defensive methods of the modern game.
Meanwhile, as is well known, useful change in any established organisation is usually brought about by people of goodwill looking and planning beyond current personalities, politics, policies and power-plays. This might take a couple of years.
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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