World Rugby Nations Cup set for kick-off featuring law trials

Press Release

Six-team tournament begins RWC 2019 cycle preparation
Live streaming available via WWW.RUGBYTV.RO
Three-round tournament to provide closed law trials environment
Match officials and teams prepared and excited by law trials

The World Rugby Nations Cup 2016 kicks off in Bucharest today, providing teams and fans with the opportunity to experience a number of the new law trials.

The World Rugby-funded tournament will operate with six points for a try, eight points for a penalty try (no conversion opportunity) and two points for a conversion, drop goal or penalty as part of a series of closed trials within the quadrennial law review process.

Other elements being trialled include the two-stage scrum engagement sequence, the penalty option after time has expired and the goal-line drop out for attacking offences in-goal.

View the law trials packages here >>

The tournament will provide the opportunity for invaluable international coach, player, referee and fan feedback within comprehensive evaluation of the closed trials by the World Rugby Laws Review Group, reporting to the Rugby Committee, with recommendations made to the World Rugby Council in November 2016 as to whether to adopt or not as a global trial. Any global trials will commence in January 2017 (south) and August 2017 (north).

The Nations Cup is the latest World Rugby-funded event to feature the law trials, following well-received implementation at the Pacific Challenge, won by Fiji Warriors and the World Rugby U20 Trophy, won by Samoa. At the age-grade competition the points-scoring trial, promoted attacking play with just three penalty kicks at goal in the opening three rounds of competition, compared to 42 in the 2015 Trophy. There are also a number of domestic competitions operating closed trials during the period.

World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Officials Manager Alain Rolland said: "Our match officials have worked collaboratively with the participating teams in order that all are familiar with the laws and the feedback in advance has been positive. We look forward to the event and the valuable feedback and data that it will provide for the Laws Review Group.”

At the new-look Nations Cup, an exciting line-up of teams sees reigning champions Romania joined by fellow Rugby World Cup 2015 participants Namibia and Uruguay, along with Spain, Emerging Italy, Argentina XV in the expanded competition.

The tournament provides a strong competition platform for the respective competing unions as they begin to build towards Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, following the most competitive Rugby World Cup to date at England 2015 where the average winning margin was just 22 points across the tournament.

View the fixtures here>>

View the preview here>>

The matches will be streamed live via WWW.RUGBYTV.RO.

Thursday, 09 June 2016