SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer says that it feels like World Rugby changes laws to target the Springboks while Rassie Erasmus reveals how they will plan for variations.
Following the 2023 Rugby World Cup, World Rugby announced the removal of the scrum option from a free-kick, a tactic that the Springboks utilised during the tournament, famously doing so from a mark during the quarter-final against France.
Additionally, the croc roll was officially outlawed while the laws around players being offside from a kick, aka Dupont Law, were also tweaked.
The rationale behind the changes was to create a more attractive game and speed up restarts after technical offences.
More changes by World Rugby followed with shot-clocks being trialled for lineouts and scrums with conversions and penalties also put on a timer with both now aligned to 60 seconds.
Scrum-halves also have more protection around the mauls, scrums and rucks while currently, lineouts that aren’t thrown in straight but uncontested by the opposition will no longer result in reset but play will continue.
Springboks punished by World Rugby
Oberholzer, who attends the Shape of the Game meetings to discuss potential changes, feels that many of the law changes have been in response to the Springboks’ success at the past two Rugby World Cups.
“There are no changes for this season, so there are still some variations that we are working through,” he said when asked about the laws at a presser in Cape Town.
“I must say it is sometimes difficult sitting in the meetings, and I did say in the meetings that it feels to me that you get punished by World Rugby when you become world champions with certain law changes that they’re talking about.
“But for this season there are no changes that will affect the team that we have to adapt to.”
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While there aren’t many changes occurring in 2025, Oberholzer predicts that there will be a major shake-up after the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.
“There is definitely talk about serious law changes again but that will probably only be after the next World Cup – we will see – they are putting under the banner of making the game attractive and speed up play,” he added.
“So those are the kind of things that they’re talking about.”
20-minute red cards continue to divide opinion
The 20-minute red card trial has caused much controversy with Ireland and France openly opposing the reduction of the on-field sanction, which Oberholzer confirmed was still causing much debate in the meetings.
“The 20-minute red card got a lot of discussion again with certain countries totally against it and others supporting it,” he said.
“I don’t think there are going to be any changes now as I said that will affect Rassie and the team in preparing for the 2027 World Cup.”
‘Players are laughing’ at officials after World Rugby’s controversial law change
Meanwhile, Boks head coach Erasmus said that the coaching team are prepared for any changes and are continually working hard to maintain a good relationship with the match officials.
Boks brace for changes
He explained that former referee and now SA Rugby National Laws Advisor Jaco Peyper and returning assistant coach Felix Jones will take point with the laws and dealings with match officials.
“There are not a lot of new law changes and variations,” he said.
“With Jaco Peyper and especially a guy like Felix now involved – they are both pretty much workaholics – to make sure we stay on track.
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“We definitely made a big mind shift to get the respect back both from us as coaches and players towards referees because we were definitely on the wrong track at one stage. With Jaco being onboard and doing all the communications and Felix really doing well and serving on some of the high-performance committees – the shape of the game committees – we are on point with the law changes.
“A lot of the law changes have been around the powerful play in the game which has almost become technical things, the way you stop mauls, and the way you counter after a tackle becomes very technical and a maul doesn’t just get stopped from the front, you can pull on the side, you can you can’t change your bind but you can disrupt the maul. If you stay in the ruck you can swing your foot around and still play the ball without playing the scrum-half.
“So our mindset is ‘Listen, just stay on top of the new laws or variations or things that they are testing’. Jaco is on it, Felix is on it, and that will be part of Felix’s job, so that we are not moaning about it, but we the first team that gets it under the belt.”
READ MORE: Rassie Erasmus proposes revolutionary Rugby Championship change to solve Springboks ‘problems’ as Six Nations links addressed
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The post SA Rugby chief: World Rugby punishes Springboks with law changes : Planet Rugby first appeared on Rugby 247.
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2025-03-06 14:39:29
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