Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Radical new trial laws introduced to Australia's National Rugby Championship

(Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

Two new law trials are set to reinvigorate play in the upcoming season of the National Rugby Championship, which begins on August 31.

ADVERTISEMENT

Teams will now be rewarded for strong defence with a goal-line drop-out when the ball is held up in the in-goal area.

They will also be recognised for aggressive territorial kicking with the introduction of a 50:22 play.

Attacking teams that boot the ball indirectly from open play or a free kick within their own half and land it either within their opponent’s 22 or touchline will earn a lineout throw.

The two law changes emulate rules that exist within rugby league, with the 13-man code already enforcing a goal-line drop-out for teams which hold up opponents in their in-goal area.

Additionally, the 50:22 play is a variant of the 40/20 rule that already exists in league, whereby players who indirectly find the sideline in the opposition’s 20 metre mark with their boot from inside their own 40 metre mark retain the ball.

Such rule changes in union will likely result in more attacking kicking throughout this season’s NRC as the emphasis on territory and field position intensifies.

ADVERTISEMENT

The NRC will also introduce lunchtime kick-offs scheduled around the Rugby World Cup, allowing fans to enjoy both the domestic competition and the Wallabies’ adventures in Tokyo on TV.

Use of suburban grounds, such as Apex Oval in Dubbo and Viking Park in Canberra, will be continued.

National Rugby Championship 2019 schedule (all times are local):

Round 1: 
Saturday 31 August – NSW Country v Sydney, 12.00pm, Apex Oval, Dubbo
Saturday 31 August – Melbourne Rising v Canberra Vikings, 1.30pm, Box Hill Rugby Club, Melbourne
Saturday 31 August – Brisbane City v Fijian Drua, 3.00pm, GPS Rugby Club, Brisbane
Saturday 31 August – Western Force v Queensland Country, 3.00pm, UWA, Perth
Round 2: 
Saturday 7 September – Fijian Drua v Western Force, 3.00pm, ANZ Stadium, Suva
Saturday 7 September – Melbourne Rising v NSW Country, 3.30pm, Bailey Reserve, Adelaide
Sunday 8 September – Brisbane City v Sydney, 1.00pm, Bond University, Gold Coast
Sunday 8 September – Queensland Country v Canberra Vikings, 3.00pm, Bond University, Gold Coast
Round 3: 
Saturday 14 September – Sydney v Queensland Country, 12.00pm, Woollahra Oval, Sydney
Saturday 14 September – Canberra Vikings v Brisbane City, 2.00pm, Viking Park, Canberra
Saturday 14 September – NSW Country v Fijian Drua, 4.00pm, WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Sunday 15 September – Western Force v Melbourne Rising, 3.00pm, UWA, Perth

Round 4: 

Saturday 21 September – Fijian Drua v Sydney, 2.00pm (12.00pm AEST), Churchill Park, Lautoka
(Saturday 21 September- Australia v Fiji, 2.45pm AEST)
Saturday 21 September – Western Force v Canberra Vikings, 3.00pm, UWA, Perth
Sunday 22 September – Melbourne Rising v Queensland Country, 1.00pm, Mars Stadium, Ballarat
Sunday 22 September – Brisbane City v NSW Country, 4.00pm, Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
Round 5: 
Saturday 28 September – Canberra Vikings v Fijian Drua, 12.00pm, Viking Park, Canberra
Saturday 28 September – Queensland Country v Brisbane City, 4.00pm, Marley Brown Oval, Gladstone
Sunday 29 September – Sydney v Melbourne Rising, 1.00pm, Forshaw Rugby Park, Sydney
Sunday 29 September – NSW Country v Western Force, 3.00pm, Port Macquarie Regional Stadium, Port Macquarie
Round 6: 
Saturday 5 October – Canberra Vikings v Sydney, 12.00pm, Viking Park, Canberra
(Saturday 5 October, Australia v Uruguay, 3.15pm AEST)
Saturday 5 October – Melbourne Rising v Fijian Drua, 5.30pm, Casey Fields, Melbourne
Sunday 6 October – Queensland Country v NSW Country, 3.00pm, Bond University, Gold Coast
Sunday 6 October – Western Force v Brisbane City, 3.00pm, UWA, Perth
Round 7: 
Friday 11 October – Canberra Vikings v NSW Country, 6.00pm, Viking Park, Canberra
(Friday 11 October- Australia v Georgia, 9.15pm)
Saturday 12 October – Sydney v Western Force, 12.00pm, Woollahra Oval, Sydney
Saturday 12 October – Fijian Drua v Queensland Country, 3.00pm, Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka
Saturday 12 October – Brisbane City v Melbourne Rising, 3.00pm, Easts Rugby Club, Brisbane
Semi-Final:
Saturday 19 October – 1st v 4th
Sunday 20 October – 2nd v 3rd
Final:
ADVERTISEMENT

Saturday 26 October

With AAP

In other news:

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

O2 Inside Line: All In | Episode 5 | Making Waves

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series | Full Day Replay

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

G
GS 3 minutes ago
James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum

Whilst I dislike what is occurring with the French clubs, they are not the only parties involved in this activity. You can also look to Ireland and its “Project Player” Scheme, or how Scotland picks players with zero background who have never lived in Scotland.


But market forces will dictate where players will end up.


If RA wants to retain these players, then it should offer them remuneration in line with or better than what the French clubs can. The NZRFU should have offered Aki, Lowe, or Fergus Burke a higher salary than what was offered by the likes of Irish Rugby, Sacarens, etc., if it wanted to retain them.


These kids going to France and the aforementioned Kiwi players are attempting to build a career and financial security in a career that can end with one injury. Think about that—one bad injury, and your career is over, so just like anyone, they have to make the smart, informed decision that is right for them and their families.


If the likes of Oz and NZ can’t or are not prepared to match the $$$, so be it - this is the reality of professional rugby, and whilst it turns the international game into a glorified club comp, I’m not sure if there is any solution.


And let’s remember it’s not all negative. This movement of players from Nth to South gives kids like Blair Murray or Taine Plumtree the ability to earn good $$ and experience international rugby, when let’s face it, they would at best be on the fringes of a Super Rugby squad - so it’s not all bad!

1 Go to comments
G
GabrielArthur 5 minutes ago
Former England star leads Benetton to huge URC result over Lions

Last month, I faced a nightmare scenario when the entire balance of SOL I held in my MetaMask wallet was abruptly transferred to an unknown address. One moment, my funds were secure; the next, they’d vanished without a trace. I frantically reviewed my transaction history, double-checked permissions, and scanned my devices for malware, but found no obvious breach. Panic turned to despair as I realized my savings accumulated through years of cautious investing were gone. Desperate for answers, I contacted MetaMask support, only to be told that their team couldn’t reverse or trace decentralized transactions. They speculated that my wallet had been compromised, possibly via a phishing scam, a malicious dApp, or a leaked recovery phrase, but I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d gone wrong. Feeling helpless, I combed through Reddit threads and crypto forums, where I stumbled upon TRUST GEEKS HACK EXPERT Website https://trustgeekshackexpert.com/ , a service hailed for its success in reclaiming stolen assets. Though skeptical after all, everything I’d read suggested crypto theft was irreversible I decided to take a leap of faith and submitted my case details, including transaction IDs and wallet addresses. Their team responded within hours, outlining a meticulous plan to trace the stolen SOL across the blockchain and collaborate with exchanges to intercept the funds. Over the next week, TRUST GEEKS HACK EXPERT provided daily updates, revealing how the thief had funneled my SOL through a labyrinth of wallets to obscure its trail. Using advanced blockchain forensics, they identified patterns linking the movement of funds to a known exchange. By working with legal teams and platform security, they flagged the stolen crypto before it could be liquidated. Their expertise and determination were evident as they navigated the complexities of the blockchain, piecing together the puzzle of my stolen assets. Against all odds, their relentless efforts paid off: within 9 days, they recovered 100% of my stolen SOL and safely redirected it to a new, fortified wallet. This experience taught me the importance of vigilance in the crypto space and the value of seeking help from experts when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges. I learned that while the decentralized nature of cryptocurrency offers many advantages, it also comes with risks that require constant awareness and proactive measures. Contact service E m a i l: Trustgeekshackexpert[At]fastservice[Dot]com & w h a t's A p p. +1 7 1 9 4 9 2 2 6 9 3

7 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ The Champions' Cup - a paradise lost? The Champions' Cup - a paradise lost?
Search