World Rugby Responds to Questions Over Future of Scrums in Bid to Make Sport ‘Quicker and Simpler’ for Fans
The global governing body for rugby, World Rugby, has set a renewed focus on the overall growth of the sport and enhancing the fan experience. This initiative aims to make the game "quicker and simpler" while preserving its fundamental essence.
Shape of the Game Conference Insights
This renewed emphasis follows the recent Shape of the Game conference held in London, where coaches, executives, match officials, and player representatives gathered to discuss rugby's future. Notably, no new law changes were proposed at the event. World Rugby indicated that the game is currently in a strong position and acknowledged that past eagerness to tinker with rules may have confused supporters.
Instead, the organisation plans to prioritise greater alignment in match officiating across various competitions. This includes a thorough evaluation of the television match official process. Additionally, there will be a broader effort to promote and celebrate rugby in both established and emerging markets worldwide.
Executive Perspectives on Game Evolution
Alan Gilpin, Chief Executive of World Rugby, elaborated on the discussions. "The conversations have validated that when rugby is at its best, and we’ve seen a lot of that recently, it is a great entertainment product," he stated. "Does that mean it is perfect and there aren’t areas for improvement? Of course not."
Gilpin highlighted the challenges of the modern attention economy, noting that all sports must remain mindful of this in their decision-making. "A lot of that is about how we interpret making our game quicker and simpler. When we say quicker and simpler, we don’t mean at the expense of the fabric of our game – the contest that is at the heart of everything of rugby. We are talking about the stoppages we can take out without those impacts, and making sure we are mindful of that, because we know that is what the fans want."
He further clarified that simplifying the game does not equate to dumbing down crucial aspects. "It means making sure that we have got more consistency and understanding for fans in what is happening. If they do, everything tells us that they are really engaged with our game."
Addressing Speculation on Scrum Changes
Despite reports from France suggesting that Australia and New Zealand were advocating for a so-called "de-powering" of the scrum, World Rugby officials confirmed that no specific discussions on this topic took place during the conference. The focus in this area remains on safety, stability, and reducing the frequency of reset set-pieces.
Chair Brett Robinson explicitly addressed these rumours. "None of those issues were debated this week at all," he stressed. "They weren’t on the table to be discussed. Mark ran a session and spoke about an establishment of a vision for the game and what we want it to look like. The principles of contest, and the primacy of contest, is everything. The principle of all body shapes and sizes – we need a game that enables us all to be able to participate. In no way were there any discussions about de-powering the scrum."
New Leadership and Strategic Direction
This development follows the appointment of former New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson as World Rugby's new Chief of Rugby. Robinson, who will begin his role in May after stepping down from NZ Rugby at the end of 2025, is tasked with overseeing a new five-year strategy for the organisation.
Robinson emphasised the collaborative nature of World Rugby's approach. "We’re a member organisation," he added. "Members have certainly got views that they are really passionate about with ideas in the game. The French have formed a view, but some of the topics that have been raised there weren’t even agenda items for the week."
He detailed the conference's focus areas: "We talked a lot about the principles of the game. Things like the nature of the physical contest, safety, the accuracy of match officiating, simplicity of the game all came to the fore, and we had some great discussions around that. The only thing I’d say is that we have got 134 members. They all have real passion for the sport. From my perspective, coming into the organisation, it is very clear that people understand their obligations to the wider interests of the game. We have to balance the beauty of some of the traditions of our sport, but we know that we have to evolve and be open to change where it is needed."
Commitment to Global Expansion
World Rugby also reaffirmed its commitment to hosting the 2031 and 2033 men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups in the United States. The organisation has already initiated significant efforts to increase the sport's profile in North America. As part of this strategy, South Africa and New Zealand are scheduled to play their fourth "Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry" Test match in Baltimore this September, further boosting rugby's visibility in the region.
