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Would you believe the rugby Rule Book stretches to 185 pages?
In a sport where so many decisions and actions happen in a split-second, there’s no way players, referees, and fans could ever really come to grips with what they are playing, controlling, and watching.
It’s size makes it rugby’s answer to War and Peace with an emphasis on the former.
To try and make the muddy waters a bit clearer, the rules are set by the code’s governing body the IRB (International Rugby Board).
The Board’s charter gives an early insight as to why the Rule Book is such crap.
Quoting straight from the IRB’s website:
“The IRB Charter provides a checklist of how the Game (note the capital G) should be approached in order to maintain the unique social and emotional principles that underpin it”.
Have you ever read such drivel? I doubt it.
William Webb Ellis, who founded rugby by having the audacity to pick up a soccer ball and run with it at the Rugby School in England in 1823, would be turning in his grave.
He created a minefield.
And that’s been perpetrated by England. To this day the English hierarchy genuinely believe their country owns rugby because William Webb Ellis was an Englishman, and he invented the sport in England.
That’s why the governing body in the Old Dart is the Rugby Football Union based at Twickenham, the home of rugby. Everyone is supposed to know the RFU is actually the England Rugby Union, like the Australian Rugby Union, Scotland Rugby Union, Canadian Rugby Union, and Japan Rugby Union etc etc etc.
And England’s belief translates to Great Britain, Ireland, and Europe believing rugby is owned by the northern hemisphere, and those upstart colonials in the southern hemisphere can do as they are told.
That’s why there are 185 pages, because the IRB is dominated by northern hemisphere officials, who with their predecessors, have made a habit of making anything simple as difficult as possible.
No better example that the “crouch, touch, pause, engage” sequence barked out by referees to set a scrum. Mind-blowingly difficult.
These are big men bending over, which is physically demanding and unnatural, with two packs over 800kgs each having to listen to the referee’s sequence at varying times in between calls when all 16 involved are trying to concentrate on their own required techniques to make the scrum work for their team.
Even Albert Einstein couldn’t cope with all of that.
Hasn’t the IRB heard of the KISS formula – Keep It Simple Stupid?
“Crouch, engage” is all that’s required, and get on with it.
That’s all very well, but how do you get the message across to those who don’t want to listen?
Of the 27 members of the IRB Council, there are only six former internationals – Wallaby Michael Hawker, All Black Graham Mourie, Englishmen Bill Beaumont and John Spencer, Welshman Gerald Davies, and Scot John Jeffrey.
Voices in the wilderness.
And to make matters worse, there’s a push to show former England captain Beaumont the exit door, when he’s one of the best rugby administrators in the world.
That’s his problem. There are so many would be’s if they could be on the IRB, better make room for another. Let mediocrity reign supreme.
So get used to it Roarers, the rugby Rule Book will remain at 185 pages.
Heaven help us.