New 'power play' rule in South Africa's Varsity Cup
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Maybe I'm just getting old, but wtf are they doing? Is this going to help South African rugby?
South Africa's Varsity Cup competition, contested by the country's top rugby playing universities, is set to trial a 'new innovative rule' in next year's season. The proposed Power Play system would allow the captains from each team to remove any two nominated backline players from the opposition for a three minute period. The Power Play must be called while in their own half, can only be used once, and if the team whose players have been removed score a try within the three minute period they would be awarded two extra points (seven points before the conversion). Chester Williams, former World Cup winner and coach at the University of Western Cape, has given the proposed new rule his full support. "The new rule will be good for players, coaches and, most of all, spectators going into next year's competition, as it keeps the game fresh," Williams told the Telegraph. "Power Play will really keep the game fluid and allow for some innovative thinking from the coaches. It will be tactically and strategically challenging for all of the coaches, and will be interesting to see how other coaches react."The Varsity Cup has trialled other new rules in the past such as the introduction of the nine-point series, were if a try began and possession maintained between the half-way line and the opponent's 22, an additional two bonus points would be awarded. Other experiments included the 'free-catch rule' which allowed players to call a mark anywhere on the field when they caught a kick, and during 2014 and 2015 matches featured two referees who worked in tandem. The Varsity Cup will kick off on January 29 and although unions have projected mild interest in the Power Play rule, it remains to be seen if the new idea will take off. -
Heh heh! I like the power play rule for a giggle.
The backs would get even more stick from the forwards if two of them were off for three minutes and the team still didn't let in a try!!!
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South Africa's Varsity Cup competition, contested by the country's top rugby playing universities, is set to trial a 'new innovative rule' in next year's season.
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The proposed Power Play system would allow the captains from each team to remove any two nominated backline players from the opposition for a three minute period.Just stop fucking with the game already.
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Surely having an online poll of the crowd to choose the players who go off would get everyone more involved.
They could do the same to choose try celebrations and what colour boots each player wears.I will stop watching if this sort of shit creeps into the game more.
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@stargazer said in New 'power play' rule in South Africa's Varsity Cup:
Maybe I'm just getting old, but wtf are they doing? Is this going to help South African rugby?
South Africa's Varsity Cup competition, contested by the country's top rugby playing universities, is set to trial a 'new innovative rule' in next year's season. The proposed Power Play system would allow the captains from each team to remove any two nominated backline players from the opposition for a three minute period.I got that far and stopped.
What a load
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This sounds terrific. Maybe next year they'll trial helmets and a forward pass.
#KeepingTheGameFresh -
early April Fools?
What a joke! Man I'd hate to be involved in that kind of game, I mean the opposition will always choose to take the best players off.
@pukunui Once they have the infrastructure in for voting on which players to remove it wouldn't be a stretch to allow the crowds to take over the role of a ref as well.
I honestly don't see the point of it? Maybe if they wanted a hybrid 7/10 game, but not in 15s.
What exactly are they trying to achieve?
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The power play has been hugely successful in making the NHL the premier sport in the US.
Dumb.
Remove 9 and 10 or 15 and go to town.
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I reckon they are on to something. I have been trying to work out a way to get rid of halfbacks for years
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And they say SA rugby is a joke. Brilliant idea
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Those crazy Saffas:
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Every team should play without a 10.
I'm not saying this because I'm a Blues fan...
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Well done SA, you've invented Rugby League.
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Stupid, stupid, stupid.
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What nonsense.
That is all. -
@mikethesnow That made me laugh out loud
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Spare a thought to those Saffas you know who are good rugby men. Those poor buggers have a patriotic link to these buffoons that have taken over their game.
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Ultimately you want these tournaments preparing players for the national team eventually so it's probably wise for most SA teams to get experience playing down a man or two.
