World Rugby evolves approach to return to play from brain injury in the elite game

World Rugby statement: Dave Rennie and Rugby Australia

World Rugby can confirm that it has issued a written warning to Rugby Australia and Rugby Australia’s men’s 15s head coach Dave Rennie for comments made immediately after Australia’s final Autumn Nations Series match against Wales in Cardiff on 20 November.

Match officials are the backbone of the sport, and without them there is no game. World Rugby condemns any public criticism of their selection, performance or integrity which undermines or threatens their role, the trust-based coach-officials feedback process, and more importantly, the values that are at the heart of the sport and must be upheld.

Independent misconduct hearing update: Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE INDEPENDENT MISCONDUCT COMMITTEE

An independent misconduct committee has found that behaviour displayed by SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus towards match officials during this year’s test series between South Africa and the British and Irish Lions constituted misconduct.

The committee was chaired by Christopher Quinlan QC, together with Nigel Hampton QC and Judge Mike Mika (both New Zealand).

World Rugby establishes dedicated Women’s Player Welfare Steering Group

World Rugby has announced the establishment of a dedicated women’s player welfare steering group that will exclusively focus on the advancement of player welfare initiatives and interventions designed specifically for the women’s game at all levels.

Women’s rugby is growing globally at a rapid pace and, in line with its strategy to cement rugby as the most progressive sport on player welfare, World Rugby is committed to ensuring a dedicated focus on women’s welfare advancement, and not just replicate or adopt measures in place for the men’s game. This approach also supports the approach outlined in the transformational 2017-25 Women’s Plan.

World Rugby Amends game's laws to allow all players to wear leggings

Players will be able wear tights or leggings in matches at all levels of the sport after the World Rugby Executive Committee approved an amendment to the laws of the game.

Currently only permissible for women, Law Four will be extended to all participants with immediate effect, enabling the wearing of conforming tights or leggings on the grounds of player welfare and accessibility.

Players, unions and competitions support new guidelines for rugby contact training load

Best-practice contact training load guidelines aim to reduce injury risk while maintaining or improving performance
New guidelines set out advised weekly limits for full contact training (15 minutes), controlled contact (40 minutes) and live set piece (30 minutes) training
Guidelines follow global consultation, including feedback from almost 600 players across elite men’s and women’s competitions, and input from leading strength and conditioning, medical and performance experts
They will be underpinned by a review and research programme to drive continuous learning and improvement, and to encourage consistent application across the professional game
Guidelines and follow-up research welcomed by players, national unions, global competitions
Elite teams, including Leinster, Clermont Auvergne and Benetton Treviso, have signed up to a trial measuring their training and match contact using instrumented mouthguards to monitor effectiveness and inform future advancements

World Rugby launches new guidelines to mark Colour Blind Awareness Day 2021

More than 300 million people worldwide currently live with some form of colour vision deficiency and World Rugby is committed to ensuring they can enjoy the game at all levels.

World Rugby partnering with unions and regions to grow the sport

Participation is one of the three core pillars of World Rugby’s strategic plan launched in April
Plan is focused on empowering the 128 member unions and six regions by increasing their capacity and capability
Ambition to increase the total global playing population to over 10 million by 2025
In line with strategic commitment to grow the women’s game, this plan aims to increase active female players by a further 10 per cent
Successful Get into Rugby and Impact Beyond programmes to be expanded

Katie Sadleir appointed new CGF Chief Executive Officer

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) are delighted to announce that Katie Sadleir has been appointed as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The New Zealander will take up the position from her current role at World Rugby, where she is the General Manager of Women’s Rugby.

Disciplinary update: Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby misconduct

South Africa Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby will face an independent misconduct hearing for comments regarding match official performance during the test series between South Africa and the British and Irish Lions.

Independent Concussion Consultants to be introduced to support Graduated Return to Play process in elite rugby

World Rugby has announced details of a major programme that will further objective care of elite players returning to play following a confirmed concussion.

Starting this month, a panel of Independent Concussion Consultants (ICC) will be made available to the game to provide independent expert opinion on whether a player should return to play following the successful completion of the six-stage Graduated Return to Play process for elite competitions. The panel of ICC experts will be funded by World Rugby.

Technique coaching aimed at reducing head impacts to be embedded into rugby’s sanctioning process

New reports help nations prepare RWC bids that optimise return on investment

Rugby World Cup hosting can generate up to £2.9 billion in total economic impact, while direct visitor expenditure into the host economy can reach £1.1 billion according to independent analysis of previous event hosting designed to inform potential future hosts of rugby’s showcase event.

Rugby World Cup and Societe Generale extend successful worldwide partnership

World Rugby has announced that Societe Generale has renewed its long-standing and impactful worldwide partnership of Rugby World Cup for the 2023 event in France.

Rugby community helping Beirut to rebuild following explosion

Members of Lebanon’s rugby-playing community have spoken about their experiences of last month’s explosion in Beirut, revealing how they have rallied around to help the city rebuild.

Sudamérica Rugby appoints Bárbara Pichot as first-ever Women’s Rugby Coordinator

After a regional search and interview process, Sudamérica Rugby has hired Bárbara Pichot to lead a new women’s rugby project in the region, joining as new Women’s Rugby Coordinator.

Regulation 8 national team representation (COVID-19 residency criteria adjustment)

The World Rugby Executive Committee approved an adjustment to Regulation 8 (eligibility) in July to combat the exceptional disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic on the necessary residency criteria for players wishing to qualify for a national union.

Sports integrity (betting and financial corruption) – the year in review 2019/20

Published Friday, 12 June 2020.

How player insurance works in Rugby Union and the modern challenges facing insurers

Published Friday, 10 January 2020.

INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin - 10th September 2019 - 23rd September 2019

World Rugby to further consider injury-prevention law trials

World Rugby opens submissions for player welfare research projects

Rugby united in commitment to evidence-based injury-prevention

World Rugby outlines Nations Championship concept to key stakeholders

World Rugby reaffirms player welfare commitment with appointment of Dr Éanna Falvey

How To Approach ‘ESG Criteria’ When Hosting Major Sports Events

Published Wednesday, 06 April 2022.

Independent misconduct hearing update: Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby withdraw appeals

SA Rugby and SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus have advised the independent misconduct committee and World Rugby that they have both withdrawn their notices of appeal to the misconduct decision and sanction issued by the independent disciplinary committee on 17 November, 2021.

World Rugby and International Rugby Players launch global brain health education campaign

New Brain Health Initiative reflects commitment to educate and support current and former elite players who might be concerned about their wellbeing and brain health
Global initiative includes new videos featuring leading independent experts outlining 12 modifiable risk factors for dementia and how rugby can play a positive role in reducing many of these
Campaign launched at World Rugby Medical Commission Conference as part of World Rugby’s ongoing engagement with member unions, local healthcare authorities and brain health experts to advance player welfare across the rugby family

David Mackay’s unpunished 'bump': why Australian sports must do more to tackle head and facial injuries

Published Monday, 18 October 2021.

ChildFund Rugby works to tackle gender inequality in Oceania

ChildFund Rugby’s partnership with World Rugby in the build-up to and during Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan created an outstanding legacy for the region where thousands more Asian girls and women are active in the sport in a safer and more inclusive environment.

World Rugby launches Tackle Ready to educate players on safe tackle technique

New programme forms key head injury prevention initiative within World Rugby’s six-point player welfare advancement strategy
All coaches at all levels will have access to a five-stage framework for coaching effective technique that promotes prevention
World Rugby and national unions currently examining tackle height limits in key closed trials to aid welfare outcomes

World Rugby announces broadcast deal for Rugby World Cup 2021 and 2023

Under the deal, which is announced just ahead of two years to go to Rugby World Cup 2023, TF1 will provide free-to-air coverage of Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand (8 October-12 November, 2022) and Rugby World Cup 2023 in France (8 September-28 October).

World Rugby unveils six-point plan to cement ambition to be the most progressive sport on player welfare

Former players, current players and a specific focus on the women’s game at the heart of six-point action plan developed by the game, for the game
World Rugby to continue to engage, listen and consult to secure the future growth of the game – everyone in the game will have a say and role to play
First series of initiatives include new global law trials with a continued focus on player welfare, introduced from 1 August; and the introduction of Independent Concussion Consultants to support the elite game’s Graduated Return to Play protocols
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont addresses rugby family in open letter

Independent disciplinary process update: Kyle Sinckler citing dismissed

British and Irish Lions player Kyle Sinckler is free to play after an independent judicial committee dismissed the citing for an act of foul play contrary to World Rugby Law 9.12.

Welfare-focused rugby law trials to be implemented globally

Rugby united in its ongoing commitment to enhance welfare outcomes
Five welfare-focused trials to be adopted globally from 1 August, 2021
Truly collaborative process has involved players, coaches, competitions and medics
Players and competitions welcome trial
Outcomes will be evaluated in 2022 in inform decision on adoption into law

CTE And Causation: The Key Medico-Legal Issues In Rugby Union’s Concussion Litigation

Published Friday, 09 July 2021.

Practical Considerations For Introducing A ‘Fit And Proper Test’ To Elected Members Of World Rugby’s Council

Published Thursday, 14 January 2021.

Players, female leaders and greater global representation on interim World Rugby committees

Rassie Erasmus, Melodie Robinson, Conrad Smith and Bryan Habana are among a host of leading players and coaches who have been appointed to World Rugby interim committees.

World Rugby appoints Nigel Cass as Competitions Director as Mark Egan bids farewell

World Rugby has announced the appointment of Nigel Cass as Competitions Director, heading up a new Competitions Department within an organisational restructure of the rugby functions of the international federation following the confirmation earlier in the year that Mark Egan will leave the organisation after 18 years to pursue new challenges.

Marjorie Enya and María Catalina Palacio Gaviria join World Rugby and Sudamérica Rugby Councils

The growth of women in rugby in the region has been noticeable both in playing numbers as in the positioning of key women in high places.
Brazilian-born Marjorie Enya (pictured) and Colombian María Catalina Palacio Gaviria were amongst the initial scholarship recipients in 2018 and focused their scholarship on personal development to give back to the game.

IWRF President Richard Allcroft on Tokyo 2020 and the future of international wheelchair rugby

International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) President, Richard Allcroft, talks about the sport’s plans for expansion, improvements in governance and developing its relationship with World Rugby ahead of what promises to be, in his words, “an interesting 2021”.