“World Rugby leader dismisses assertions of a shift towards rugby league”
World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson has dismissed claims that the sport is gradually transforming into rugby league, although he acknowledges that there are numerous topics to address during the upcoming shape of game conference later this month.
Robinson, who was present in Sydney for the announcement of the Rugby World Cup schedule on Tuesday, also had to justify the decision for Australia to face first-time participants Hong Kong China in the opening match of the 2027 tournament—a contest anticipated to be heavily one-sided.
With the Six Nations commencing this Thursday and Super Rugby Pacific set to start the following week, conversations regarding the current state of the on-field action have resurfaced, highlighting the longstanding divide between the northern hemisphere, including South Africa, and the trans-Tasman alliance of Australia and New Zealand.
However, Robinson perceives the situation differently.
“I genuinely believe we are in a better position than ever before,” Robinson stated to reporters on Tuesday. “If you look back 50 or 60 years, there has always been a struggle between the north and the south regarding the positioning of the sport.
“In the early years of professionalism, there was still significant pressure, but now we have a group of individuals, led by Abdel Benazzi as the chair of the rugby committee. We are more unified than we have ever been.
“There are nuances to consider; we are currently trialing the 20-minute red card, which has been tested extensively here. Fortunately, this is now a global trial, and I believe the initial results are quite encouraging, serving as a good example of the challenges in bringing the community together.
“However, once we exchange information and insights, it certainly positions us much better. Yet, we still have work ahead, and we all concur on that.”
The revised interpretation of “escort runners” for high balls continues to be a contentious issue, as the chasing team now has a nearly unobstructed path to contest against a defending player who often comes from a less dynamic position.
There is a viewpoint that this change has tilted the contest too far in favor of the attacking team, although former All Blacks winger Ben Smith, renowned for his prowess under the high ball, remarked just this week that it is essential for players to enhance that aspect of their game, which has essentially become the backs’ own “set-piece.”
“I really appreciate that aspect of the game that has been opened up, allowing for competition in the air, making it a sort of 50/50 situation,” Smith commented ahead of last week’s pre-season match.
“I suppose the forwards engage in a lot of scrummaging, which is their set-piece. Now for the backs, the high ball and pursuing it is our set-piece in that regard.
“If you can excel in that area, it sets up your game for attacking opportunities. So, that has been a significant focus during the preseason, building confidence in the air and determining what we want to pursue.”
However, Smith, who serves as an assistant at the Highlanders, will also be acutely aware of the five law variations implemented for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season, one of which will award a 50/22 kick even if the ball has been passed back beyond halfway.
The intention is to compel defending teams to reconsider their coverage at the back out wide, theoretically creating more space in the front defensive line for attacking teams.
Additionally, the competition has eliminated two further opportunities for a scrum to be awarded, with free kicks now given for accidental offsides and a failure to “use it” at the ruck following the referees’ call.
With the number of infractions leading to a scrum already reduced, particularly from crooked lineouts and incorrect scrum engagements, some rugby traditionalists believe that the key set-piece is gradually being diminished, steering the sport towards a closer resemblance to rugby league.
Robinson, however, firmly rejected such claims, citing the impressive display in Australia’s remarkable victory over South Africa last year as evidence that rugby remains in robust health.
“Absolutely [I reject that],” Robinson responded when questioned about the rugby league comparison. “I was fortunate to, on my way to the north [last year], visit Johannesburg to watch the Wallabies compete at Ellis Park, and if you can’t appreciate what an incredible game of rugby that was, and how entertaining it was, along with the Wallabies’ performance; Australia hadn’t won there in over 60 years.
“I think that’s a significant assertion, and I believe we are far from that [rugby league]. Moreover, the Women’s World Cup was another excellent example. It was an extraordinary tournament filled with joy and opportunity; during the November window, we had some fantastic Test matches.
“We have some issues to resolve, which we have outlined and aim to address, as I mentioned, in a couple of weeks. However, this conference, along with our board meetings and the review process, is crucial for us to finalize any necessary changes by June or July.”
What may further exacerbate feelings in the northern hemisphere is the appointment of former New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson as World Rugby’s new Chief of Rugby.
Given Robinson’s previous role on the board overseeing Super Rugby Pacific’s various law trials, there is concern, whether justified or not, that he may advocate for the successful initiatives from the trans-Tasman club competition, such as the involvement of the Television Match Official and time-wasting regulations, to be implemented in Test rugby.
World Rugby chief Brett Robinson expressed confidence in his new hire’s ability to succeed and for the sport to unify at the shape of game conference as the countdown to the 2027 World Cup progresses.
“The goal is to organize everything we can to ensure that our game is enjoyable and focused on the fan,” Robinson stated. “We strive to make it appealing, with a pace and speed to the game, and there are aspects we need to refine, which is why we have appointed Mark Robinson as the chair of a match official review to examine specific elements of that.
“He has just accepted a role to become the Chief of Rugby for World Rugby, so we are very eager to apply more rugby pressure on the product.”
