Latest / Cut The Kak / Rugby Union's Scrums Under Threat
Transcript
- Byron: I've looked online and not many people are talking about this fight we're losing. ⁓ And that's the loss of the ⁓ scrums in rugby union. to be everyone's fighting to get rid of it. even though you and I both see it as an integral part to rugby union and I want to talk about the 2026 law trials in major league rugby in the US. Now when we mentioned this before we started, the thing that made me laugh was you're like, well, it's in the US who gives a FUGG ⁓ Fair enough. But also Trial laws can expand into other competitions and I think it's important we get ahead of this because they do not seem to be changing ⁓ the laws. So, give me one second. Here it is. All right, so there are a few rule changes and the main reason for this is they want to speed up the game. And by speeding up the game, Chad: Yep Byron: they're trying to minimize the number of scrums in the game. So I'm gonna read through a few of the changes ⁓ for the 2026 season. A knock on or a forward pass into touch. You used to have the option of a line out or a scrum. No longer an option, it's a line out. Chad: Okay. Byron: Okay, so that's number one. The next one is a knock-on or a forward pass that goes in goal. ⁓ The play restarts with a goal line dropout instead of a scrum. Chad: I can help. me to scrub. Okay. Byron: Okay, I've still got some more. A failed maul. If a maul ends unsuccessfully, a free kick is rewarded instead of a scrum. The five second use it rule, ⁓ which is failing to play the ball within five seconds after the ref calls, use it or lose it, no longer a scrum, it's a free kick. And just so you know, you can't pick Scrum from a free kid. They do have the 20 minute red card replacement law, which is the player that gets the direct red card, or for 20 minutes after 20 minutes, another player can replace him. That one we've seen pretty much everywhere at this point. ⁓ Tries that are scored directly underneath the goalposts is a straight seven point. You don't need to take the conversion. Chad: That I can get behind. But I think it's... Byron: Can you though? We've seen people miss them. It happens one in two, three thousand. No, no, no, it happened fucking who was for the Crusaders a few seasons ago, Lee Halfpenny. He came on for his first game for the Crusaders, took a kick, must have been three meters out from the post and still missed. It didn't affect the game, Crusaders won, but it happens. Chad: In high school. Okay. Byron: Okay, then a scrum penalty. Chad: Maybe I can maybe I'm sorry now that I'm thinking about it. Maybe I've just said that because you give me like bad news, bad news, bad news. That's like the book. Yeah, maybe I was just like, ⁓ OK, yeah. Byron: And you're like, ⁓ this one's not as bad as all the others. If you win a scrum penalty, you can no longer opt for another scrum. You have to take a tap or a free kick. I mean, a tap or a kick to goal. You can't take another scrum from the penalty that you won. Next up, have... ⁓ Chad: Jesus, is it even rugby at this point? Byron: No, no, no, it's becoming league. I don't know how else to describe it to people. The next one they've got is they no longer have a TMO. They have a referee review system. Each team has two reviews they can use throughout the game. Chad: Okay. So like that, that's pretty much out of NRL. Yep. Byron: Then, yeah, already said the last one they had was the if you win a scrum penalty, you cannot pick a new scrum unless you're inside the opposition's 22 meter line. Chad: You see that's... it's stupid. They're just making it way too complicated. But that's horrible. I hate it all. Byron: It's- I hate it all. The reason I wanted to start with it is because now for the rest of the part I can be pissed off. Because this is... It's like, you know when we spoke about the varsity cup, instead of taking the conversion, you take the 22 meter tap for a five points instead of two points. That one I thought was fun and creative, but it didn't really ruin the game. These laws are, yeah, they're doing everything they can. Chad: Yep. Yeah, this is completely changing the game. Byron: for scrums not to be important, which I know we've said this before and I think we just got to keep saying it until someone starts watching the part that's important. like scrums are so important, getting rid of them, you're changing the sport.