The SA Rugby delegation at World Rugby’s Shape of the Game meeting in London on 24 February is set to raise several important issues.
Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones, CEO Rian Oberholzer and general manager of high performance Dave Wessels will represent SA Rugby at the summit, which is expected to tackle law interpretations, officiating structures and the balance between innovation and the traditional strengths of the game.
One issue that will not be up for debate is the Springboks’ Bomb Squad. According to reports in The Times, the much-discussed bench strategy is not on the agenda and will not be targeted for change.
Rapport says much of the focus is expected to fall on the role of the TMO, an area where South Africa and several northern hemisphere nations are expected to push back strongly against proposed reductions in influence.
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New Zealand and Australia favour a diminished role for the TMO, while South Africa and France believe the position remains essential to ensuring correct outcomes.
Key questions likely to be raised are why World Rugby has not retained recently retired elite referees in specialist off-field roles, and why many TMOs are not employed full-time in rugby.
“They may not want to referee on the field anymore, but people like Wayne Barnes, Nigel Owens and Jaco Peyper are still the best decision-makers in the game,” said a source. “Why wouldn’t you use them as dedicated TMOs?”
NIGEL: Depowering scrum will destroy rugby
Scrums and mauls are also expected to feature prominently, with some countries pushing to reduce their influence as penalty-winning platforms. South Africa, however, is expected to argue that it risks stripping the game of its traditional contest.
“Countries like Ireland and Australia want it to be made impossible for teams to win penalties and free kicks there. And that you cannot choose to scrum again [from a penalty.
“They basically want to move away from the traditional strengths of rugby. Countries like South Africa will argue again that rugby should remain rugby.”
Rapport claims the Springbok coaching team’s recent Shape of the Game podcasts on officiating and laws are seen as part of a broader effort to ensure transparency ahead of the meeting.
Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images
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