SANZAAR has continued its push to make rugby a more attractive spectacle, unveiling four additional law variations for this year's Rugby Championship.
World Rugby earlier this year announced three law modifications, including the "Dupont Law" offside change, banning the crocodile roll cleanout and removing the right of teams to call for a scrum from a free kick, while also flagging several other trial variations that would be used in various competitions around the globe.
SANZAAR has long been the pioneer of trial laws, with both New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia keen to push through change, with the tournament having overseen the first Test-match instance of the 20-min red-card replacement law.
And while that is yet to be green lit as a permanent change of law, The Rugby Championship will this year attempt to help push that towards a reality by reinstating a "full red card" for intentional foul play.
"In the event foul play is determined to be deliberate and with a high level of danger it will result in a full red card for the offending player who will not return to the field nor be able to be replaced," a SANZAAR media release confirmed on Tuesday.
"All other Red Cards that do not meet the above threshold will be 20 min Red Cards in which the offending player will be removed from the match but will be entitled to be replaced by another player after 20 minutes. The offending team will then be able to replace the red carded player with one of their available replacements."
Elsewhere, SANZAAR will be hoping for an improved spectacle for fans across Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, and those watching on television across the globe, by reducing the time permitted for penalty kicks and conversions to 60 seconds only and setting a limit of 30 seconds for the forming of a scrum or lineout.
Furthermore, defending players will no longer be able to tackle a player who is attempting to "clear the ball away from the scrum, ruck or maul."
At the scrum, halfbacks must either "take up a position with both feet no further than the centre line of the tunnel; or permanently retire to a point on the offside line either at that team's hindmost foot, or permanently retires at least five metres behind the hindmost foot."
Finally, if a defending team fails to contest a lineout when a throw is not straight, play will be allowed to continue.
"If the defending team lift a teammate to compete for the ball and a throw is deemed not straight by referee then they shall be offered the option of a lineout or scrum. If the lineout is chosen and the ball is again not thrown straight, a scrum is awarded to the team that originally threw in the ball," the statement confirmed.
The Rugby Championship kicks off this weekend, with the Wallabies hosting the Springboks in Brisbane in the tournament opener, before the All Blacks and Pumas meet in Wellington immediately after.
With Rugby Australia predicting a crowd of close to 50,000 at Suncorp Stadium, the law variations will go some way to appeasing what has become an increasingly frustrated rugby fanbase Down Under, one that has drifted towards rugby league due to its increased ball-in-play time and perceived greater entertainment value.
While South Africa does not share the same widespread attitude towards rugby's lawbook, RA does have an ally in New Zealand Rugby with the two nations desperate to regain some of the footing it has lost on home soil.
SANZAAR chief Brendan Morris said the southern hemisphere alliance wanted to promote an improved spectacle for rugby fans.
"The Rugby Championship is the flagship of the sport in the southern hemisphere and annually we see the best players in the world battle it out for the title. We believe this year's championship, that has been keenly anticipated by the players and rugby fans, will again exhibit the best of what the game has to offer with exciting, tough action on the field, enhanced by the evolution in the Laws of the Game," Morris said.
"SANZAAR on behalf of its member unions continues to explore ways to make The Rugby Championship and rugby in general even more attractive to fans. In 2024 The Rugby Championship is back to its full format with 12 Test matches played across Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa."