Not really happy with the maul one stop rule. I feel that we lose a lot of what makes a good maul : Some times, the maul stops for a brief moment but moves during a second phase, a bit like a double push in the scrum.

Not a fan of that mark off the kickoff rule

The mark on restart is the one I really dislike, horrible change. Adding more stoppages after changing scrums to remove stoppages is stupid

Nigel’s got it right, your title hasn’t - it’s the LAWS of rugby and the RULES of racing.

Clean up the referee's advantage call. Some go on for ages only to come back for a penalty. Slowing the game down and a waste of time. Thoughts and ideas please.😊👍

A big question I have is on the mark from a kick off. A lot of the new rules in rugby and especially some named in this video aims to increase the flow of play. Now wouldn’t the ability to mark a ball in your own 22 from a kick off slow the game down again?

The long chain of players that occurs when a ruck is formed annoys me. The ball ends up 20ft behind where the tackle first started giving the kicker to much space and time to clear the line.

Not "Rules". It's "Laws".

Love the line out one!!

Maul should be two stop rule. One is just killing that part of the game... I feel like people need to watch rugby league if they only want skinny fast guys running around. Mark from kick off is just shocking

Thanks Nigel

I hope that @world rugby reduce the opportunities to score from penalties for example in a non violent situation like "not realising the ball" and "offside" that should be considered free kick at least is inside the 22. The 22 should be considered like a penalty area.

The 1 stop maul will not encourage wide to wide play depending on how strictly it is enforced; a team can make a massive hit to stop a maul once and then bounce out into a defensive line

What about putting the ball in straight into the scrum!

@2:21 That's a photo of a Rugby League player from the North Queensland Cowboys. Not sure how this one passed the final check before being uploaded 🙃

I hope this is the place to ask questions. Nigel, what are your thoughts regarding awarding an attacking team that scores a try under penalty advantage? I'm thinking either to move the conversion in front of the sticks, or a award a six point try? While penalty advantage does give an attacking team more opportunity to have a go knowing that they will get the ball back if they lose it, it could act as another incentive not to infringe, particularly in tight games.

after giving it some thought the scrum law wont be an issue for heavier teams like south africa. they will simply kick for the corner, gain 40 meters and setup for a maul.

The Mark after kick off serves what purpose exactly? It just slows the game down as time taken to take the kick into touch and time to take the line out. A brain dead law.

How do we get to ask a question on whistle watch -i.e. what is the process?

Hey Nigel, hopefully you get to read this. I'm sure that there are existing processes that include reviews, sharing experiences & education that helps Refs, ARs & TMOs to constantly improve, align etc but... As a fan, I get frustrated at some Referee’s varying, fluctuating, inconsistent ‘interpretations' of the same rules in various hemispheres, countries, game to game, club to club, week to week etc as all I want is consistency of the same rules/laws. Given that the ‘on-field’ Ref & ARs don’t have eyes in the back of their heads, you can’t be both sides of the Ruck etc, you personally don’t have zoomed-in or multiple camera angles, slow mo replays etc, we have to accept/understand a bit of human error on that part - not a problem (in moderation). But as for the TMO & their assistants with all of the technology at their fingertips, I am sometimes, albeit more likely more often than not, frustrated at the actions of the TMOs inconsistencies, abilities, over-bearing intrusions etc. I get especially annoyed when the TMO is trying to (wrongly) influence the Ref etc to ‘find’ an offence or when the TMO ‘misses’ something completely obvious. Out of curiosity, do all TMOs have to be as qualified & experienced to the same level as the actual Referee & the ARs? If the TMO was on the side-line, could they take the field as a replacement official? Taking that further, why don’t the likes of yourself & other retired referees of the same ilk, standard & reputation, regardless of nationality, be the TMOs? Instead of the UK’s ‘House of Commons’, you could all be World Rugby’s ‘House of TMOs’. You could even do it remotely from your Farm any time for any game on the planet! Just an idea…

Croeaso yn ol Nigel. Personally I'm not a fan of the 20 minute red card trial law (and I'm pretty sure that Clive Norling and Ken Rowlands would be appopleptic about it). If its going to be a non contested line out, why not just have a free kick 5m in at that line out point? That makes more sense to me. The maul thing, if its stopped for a couple of seconds (max 5) it makes sense. Just my 2p worth. Hwyl Fawr

does anyone else think Nigel Owens should be running WR? Man's had the most positive impact on the game of any official I know of

Thought they would test the no caterpillar rucks too?

How about managing a straight put in at the scrum ?

All good apart from the 20 minutes red, maybe a half hour but 20 minutes isn't enough of a penalty for a red card

Springboks to good for you all..keep changing them until you happy.

I guess the 20min rule is to make sure the broadcasters can still sell advertisements. Because once games are killed by red cards, fans stop watching. Bad ref calls also kills the game. I Love the line out rule.. If the can measure the head acceleration, can the not also but that in the ball to check for knock on or forward pass. As long as there is no acceleration in a forward direction - It is a backwards pass. EZ PZ.

Hello I have been a player for nearly 15 years, thinking of stepping out of the pitch at 40ths, Would like to step in into refereeing but I'm feeling that I'm getting behind or lost on the rules, would it be worst it to make that jump? You know doctors make the worst patience!

Refs need to enforce the "USE IT!" call, as quite often its another 10 seconds before its used. So in the 1st minute of the match you could take the head of Dupont, take him out with a HIA and your red carded player is back after 20 mins, but the best player is out of the game.

Wales won against Spain……have some of that! Never change Nigel

Can someone please answer me as to why there was no whistle watch about the RWC final which was the most controversial match of the entire tournament & an explanation as to ref decisions would of gone a long way... Unless World Rugby is trying to cover up or hide something?

Nigel why was two welsh tries disallowed against Australia today

What is protection of a 9 at a ruck ? They are allready protected, everyone knows you cant play the 9. Hear my theory. That Fr-Sa qtr final. In 2nd halve Boks had 14 players and were defending on their 22. Du Pont picked up the ball and was being slow about it. Kolisi saw this and pushed the 1 ruck defender who was sleeping on the job, this guy fell backwards and bumbed Du Pont which caused a knock on eventually cause of slow ball which allowed Boks to rush up and force an error. French saw this and them being richest rugby nation said 'protection of 9' at ruck. I understand at scrum thats logical but there is allready one for ruck, you cant play the 9. This rule will become reff interpretation and we all know how that goes... What would it take to explain these new rules in-depth ? Nigel has become a puppet for WR who are against 3rd world nations, like SA, it seems. All I ask is a in-depth explaination of every new law not this cover up, noyone wants to read the rule book thats the reffs job, but as a fan the least they could do is explain to us in depth, because they are always changing these things.

Can you explain what happens during a HIA

need to improve hacking skills to have multiple opposition players HIA via those "smart" mouthguards for the odd occasion NZ need a bit of help winning lol. Maul 1 stop is ridiculous as is 22m mark from kick-off

How about no dancing about in the line out before the throw?

Come on @worldrugby “What new laws…” not “rules” Arbitrary I know but we have “Laws of the game” … or is changing the terminology to rules a new trial too? 🤔😉 I love the sport but I do worry if the governing body is distributing content and can’t gets its own terminology right 😬

There are a lot of things I would change about rugby. Not a fan of the drift defences and multi phase rugby but I am here to address the 20 minute Red Card. I think it should be dropped to 10 and the yellow to five. I love the idea of replacing the red carded player with another and honouring the fans who pay to see 15v15 The sin bin works but if the penalty time off the field it puts the ref under pressure not to call stuff. I reffed ice hockey and they have 2,5,10 and match/game misconducts. If the penalties are too harsh then the games could get out of control. I also don’t like the carryover of reds and yellows to the next games because then two other teams gain advantage from a game they didn’t play in. It should always be a clean sheet. And while I am at it, in sevens. You should not be able to delay any part of the game including touching down after a try or taking any time to kick the ball on conversions. A Neath Lad by way of Canada

Can someone please explain to me how it isn't a penalty for using "hands in the ruck" when a caterpillar ruck forms and the scrum half rolls the ball back towards the hindmost foot with his hands?

Red card law came in one rugby world final too late 😎

OK come on World Rugby Rugby Union Football has LAWS!!!! not rules!

Why are Scotland not in the Pool stages of the U20 world cup?

If sides don't want to see the game ruined by having a player red carded in the first five minutes, here's an idea, don't commit a red card offence.

Maul rule isn't great. Some refs hit the first stop way to early imho.

Calling the mark on a restart will stop the desire for the kicking team to try and win the ball back, so they will stand off and wait for the return kick.

Nigel, rather than stop the game for a scrum or line out infraction after it was won anyway, why not let play continue ( no advantage needed because the right team won the set piece)?

Please dont give REFS more work. They cant even get the scrums right as it is.

'we want faster, smoother gameplay, how about we change scrums? no you can't do that, how about we allow teams to call a mark from kick-offs? perfect' and if someone does something that warrants a red and sending off the pitch, makes no sense to be able to replace that player. nope, change it back.

No other sport on earth changes the rules every year. What a farce of a sport.

Not happy at all with one stop maul, we will have to many knock ons and scrums

If there are so many rules to reduce multiple aspects of physicality like the reduction of stops during mauls and the rules effecting scrums, how then is this not a shift to rugby legue style play and diminish the advatage of teams dominant in physical play...? Its supposed to be a physically dominated game with big gents and big hits, whilest smaller gents bring the speed and athletism.... But its seems like running is the only desired trait. World rugby needs to stop with so many changes and let the game grow naturally for once.

To many rules, It’s stuffing rugby up.

Don't like the mark from the kick-off, start the game and immediately slow the game down... as an old FB

Why is rugby always changing rules?

In the urc forward passing was so bad and the tmo did nothing it was just play on.

Speaking of Whistle WATCH, what is on your wrist, Nigel?

The 20 minute red card has been a massive success in every competition it has been a part of so far, it's funny when the people against it make their arguments and then give their "alternative" solution and end up just describing the 20 minute red card.

The mall is an integral part of the game and an important tool for the likes of the Springboks. It chips me off that world rugby are deliberately impinging on the scrums and malls because it does not suit other teams in the Northern Hemisphere. World rugby must get over themselves and either adopt Rugby Union or stay with the set piece aspects of the game. Enough now damit!

Cheslin Colby

oh and now wonky line out throws! so we've got slow the game down with marks from every restart, reward severe infractions, don't punish people for not learning their fundamentals. right ok, got it. thanks world rugby? anything else like 'touching the ball down in your own in goal area, but only on a tuesday at 3pm if a pidgeon flew between the oppositions posts but under the crossbar within 5 minutes, and your name is kevin, instantly wins you the game'? no of course not that's absurd. what are you actually doing?!

Why does he sound Indian 😂

TMO and water babies are ruining the game.

world rugby are a joke, how about not making any changes to the rules

The set of laws that changed the game the most, and for the worse are the tactical replacement laws. Instead of lithe, agile, smart and cunning athletes we get lumbering behemoths, heavier hits, more torque (rolls), pitch damage, slower play (any additional recovery opportunity, taking more time for free and penalty kicks), referees managing scrum sets, etc. IOW more and more law tweaks. Injury replacements are possible with approval from a team led by the match doctor. The game goes on (one player down) while the medical team assess whether a replacement is warranted, e.g. pre-existing injury, player's own dumb technical error = NO. Why? _A game for all shapes and sizes_ is rightfully one of Rugby's prouder claims.

The 20 minute red card is stupid. If a transgression is bad enough, you sould lose a player for the rest of the match. If that's ruining the game, stop giving out so many red cards.