The World Rugby Council has decided to amend one of the sport’s laws of the game, explaining that this has been changed on safety grounds.
The sporting authority has made a change to Law 8 which formerly allowed for a try to be scored against post protectors – the padding around the base of the goalposts to prevent players colliding with them and potentially becoming seriously injured.
Now, this rule has been changed and an attacking player can no longer score a try against a protector after there had been cases where defending teams had lifted or moved the equipment and therefore “increasing the risk of injury.”
Further to this, the Council also said that teams were finding it harder to defend their try line due to the post protector increasing in size and shape for safety reasons, coupled with the fact that defending players are “legally obliged to stay behind the goal-line.”
This ruling comes into effect on July 1.
This means that tries can only be scored by grounding the ball on or over the opposition goal line.
A spokesperson for World Rugby said: “World Rugby has announced that, with immediate effect, it will no longer be possible to score a try by grounding the ball against the post protector.
“The minor amendment to Law 8 was approved by the World Rugby Council during its special meeting held via teleconference on Tuesday and follows a recommendation by the international federation’s Rugby Committee and specialist Laws Review Group.
“With defending players currently legally obliged to stay behind the goal-line and post-protector shape and size increasing for welfare reasons, it is increasingly difficult for teams to legally defend this area.
“In some extreme cases, post protectors have been lifted or moved by defending teams, leaving the posts exposed and therefore increasing the risk of injury.”
Law 8.2(a) will now read: ‘The post protector is no longer an extension of the goal-line and therefore a try is scored when the attacking player is first to ground the ball in the opponents’ in-goal.’
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “World Rugby’s mission is to make the game as simple, safe and enjoyable to play as possible. This law amendment reflects that mission.
“By stipulating that an attacking team can no longer score against the post protector and therefore must ground the ball in-goal, this gives defending teams a fair chance of preventing a try from being scored.”
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WE HAVE MOVED! 