Rugby must make call on TMOs
Match officials have been let down by World Rugby’s TMO protocol, writes SIMON BORCHARDT.
Match officials have been let down by World Rugby’s TMO protocol, writes SIMON BORCHARDT.
World Rugby has announced that the U20 Championship in South Africa in June will serve as a further testing ground for the TMO bunker concept, which the governing body wants to introduce at the World Cup in France.
Time restrictions on goal kicks, set pieces and a streamlined TMO process are among a raft of fan-centric law innovations set to make Super Rugby Pacific faster in 2023.
Kicking clocks, limiting water carriers and penalising negative play are among the law applications aimed at speeding up the game which have been implemented worldwide since 1 January.
It’s time for on-field match officials to make decisions and stop relying on the TMO, writes SIMON BORCHARDT.
Eddie Jones has come out swinging against television match officials, referring to rugby’s fourth officials as referees who cannot “cut the mustard”.
Quicker, accurate decision-making is the rationale behind trial amendments to the Television Match Official (TMO) protocol announced by World Rugby on Thursday.
Former Test referee Nigel Owens says Television Match Officials are far too heavily involved in the game and should only be called on to look at tries and serious foul play.
A revised TMO protocol will be trialled during the tier-one Test matches in November with the aim of leaving greater decision-making responsibility with the on-field officials.
World Rugby has announced a closed trial revising the scope of the TMO during the end-of-year Tests hosted by tier-one nations.