World Rugby introduces four new law amendments to the Champions and Challenge Cups, aiming to create a faster and more dynamic game. The changes focus on protecting the scrum-half and promoting space for attacking play.
The Champions Cup and Challenge Cup return this weekend with four tweaks to the law. World Rugby is implementing these four amendments as ‘global law trials’ in all competitions commencing from 1 January 2025 and despite the EPCR tournaments having started last month, they will be introduced to the Champions and Challenge Cup s. EPCR hopes the changes can “promote speed, space, and contest” for the benefit of fans and players.
Match officials – including Ireland’s Eoghan Cross, who makes his Champions Cup debut as the referee for Stade Français’ clash with Northampton – will be focusing on these four areas. Protect the scrum-half There are a trio of elements to this change, all of which are designed to give scrum-halves more space to pass the ball away from cluttered areas. Firstly, players like Caelan Doris will no longer be able to reach out from rucks and grab the scrum-half’s arm as in the manner below. This confusing-looking law hack had become increasingly common in recent season, with the Champions Cup final between Leinster and Toulouse last year featuring several examples. At that stage in May last year, World Rugby had already set the wheels in motion to outlaw this defensive play. Following trials in the U20 World Championship and elsewhere, the law trial is now in the process of being adopted in all competitions at all levels of the game. So any defender who is, or was, part of the ruck may not play an attacking player who is near the ruck and who is attempting to play the ball away. “Near” is defined as within one metre of the ruck and the sanction is a penalty. Advertisement The change also means that defenders who are in mauls can no longer grab the attacking scrum-half as they look to play the ball away. So any defender who is, or was, part of the maul may not play an attacking player near it and who is attempting to play the ball away. “Near” is defined as within one metre of the maul and the sanction is a penalt
RUGBY WORLD RUGBY CHAMPIONS CUP CHALLENGE CUP LAW CHANGES SCRUM-HALF ATTACKING PLAY
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