Timers on scrums & other measures proposed to speed up the game could be trialled ahead of RWC

With the 2023 World Cup looming, a major focus for World Rugby is speeding up the game as stoppages at set-piece and with goal kickers continue to cause concern.

Rugby’s key stakeholders met last week to discuss solutions to the issue and plans such as a stop clock for scrums and lineouts as well as stricter policing of goal kickers were proposed and will be investigated in due course.

Time-wasting in the game has been a hot topic of conversation for several years now and was again brought to the fore in the recent Autumn Nations Series with a slew of reset scrums and lethargy at lineout times. The frequency of water carriers taking the field was also highlighted as an area of consideration.

World Rugby are also looking into a way of reducing the amount of time spent on TMO referrals, with the aim of a quicker and more binary system, as is the case in cricket's Decision Review System [DRS].

It has also been proposed that interactions between referee and TMO will be broadcast over stadium loudspeakers to increase spectator experience.

After last week's meeting, World Rugby boss Sir Bill Beaumont labelled it as "the first step towards a reimagination of our sport".