These are the rugby headlines from Wednesday morning, August 7.
Welsh referee dies
Former Welsh referee Ken Parfitt has died at the age of 83.
The widely respected official never made it to the international judging panel, but refereed all over the world. He officiated at the Hong Kong Sevens and refereed for the All Blacks when they took on the Combined Services at Aldershot in 1978.
He also refereed for several international touring teams in the UK before hanging up his whistle in 1988 at the age of 47.
Parfitt also worked for British Rail for over 26 years, before taking up the position of secretary of Llanelli RFC in 1993. After five years in that role, he left Llanelli to become youth team manager of Crawshays Welsh.
He remained involved with Welsh rugby into his seventies, becoming involved in managing the Ospreys Development XV, becoming team manager at Neath the following year.
The WRU has paid tribute to Parfitt, saying it “sends sincere condolences to Ken’s family and friends.”
TO REGISTER: Receive the new exclusive Inside Welsh Rugby newsletter for full insight into what’s really going on around all the key issues. With this special offer you get full access all year round for just £10 instead of £40.
Major tournament will lead to revision of legislation
SANZAAR has confirmed that a number of new, additional rules of the game will be introduced at this year’s Rugby Championship.
Earlier this year, World Rugby announced three changes to the existing laws, with teams now banned from requesting a scrum after a free kick, and the controversial ‘croc roll’ cleanout and ‘Dupont Law’ offside rule both banned. Several other trial variations have also been introduced in various competitions around the world.
They include the controversial 20-minute red card substitution rule, which allows players penalized for a number of red card offences to be replaced by another player 20 minutes later. The rule has been approved for use in the Rugby Championship, which starts this weekend, but will be implemented with a twist.
If a player deliberately and dangerously plays, this player will be rewarded with a traditional red card. This means that he/she cannot be replaced for the rest of the match.
Other variations to the rules of the game include shortening the time limits. Players are given 60 seconds to take penalties and make conversions, and only 30 seconds to form a scrum or line-out.
In addition, scrum-halves will be given more protection as defending players will no longer be allowed to tackle a player who is attempting to “clear the ball from the scrum, ruck or maul”. Referees will also be allowed to allow play to continue if there is an incorrect lineout throw, as long as the defending team does not contest the ball.
“The Rugby Championship is the sport’s flagship event in the Southern Hemisphere and every year we see the world’s best players competing for the title,” said SANZAAR chief executive Brendan Morris, who said he wanted to provide fans with an even better spectacle.
“We are confident that this year’s Championship, which has been eagerly anticipated by players and rugby fans, will once again showcase the best of the sport with exciting, hard-hitting action on the field, enhanced by evolving Laws of the Game.
“SANZAAR continues to explore ways on behalf of its Member Associations to make The Rugby Championship, and rugby in general, even more attractive to fans. In 2024, The Rugby Championship will return in its full format with 12 Test matches played in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.”
Twickenham name change defended
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney has defended the decision to rename Twickenham, insisting the organisation has not yet ‘sold out’.
In a sponsorship deal worth more than £100m, the home of English rugby will be renamed Allianz Stadium from September. The 82,000-seater stadium will have a new name for the first time in its 114-year history.
The surprise move has come as a surprise to many, with many fans voicing their disapproval. However, Sweeney insists the investment involved will make the stadium better for both fans and players.
“I honestly don’t think we’re sold out,” he told the BBC. “It’s an iconic stadium, it’s the home of rugby, the experiences here are incredible, people love coming here.
“But we believe this will help us build on the legacy of the stadium. It will take us into the future, decades ahead. And Allianz’s investment will allow us to make Twickenham an even better experience for fans and players.
“We believe this is an investment in the future, with the kind of partner we need to make that journey.”
Sweeney added: “It’s a multi-year commitment and it’s well over £100m, so it’s fair value for what you would expect from stadium naming rights these days. It’s money we need to invest back into the game.
“We have had a hard time coming out of the Covid-19 period, the game is under pressure – we saw three professional clubs go bankrupt [and] that was extremely painful. So, this is money that we need to generate, to reinvest back into the community game, so that we can keep that pipeline going.”
Cheika hopes for long-term contract at Leicester
By Duncan Bech, England Rugby Correspondent
Michael Cheika has temporarily set up home base in Leicester as he attempts to revive the Tigers.
Cheika was living in Paris and was about to return to his native Australia with his family when he was approached by the club to replace Dan McKellar, who unexpectedly left at the end of June after just one season in charge.
The former Wallabies and Argentina manager, who calls himself a specialist in turning the competition around, has signed a one-year deal with options to extend his time in the East Midlands in a major move for Leicester and the Gallagher Premiership.
Five weeks into his first full-time spell at a club since 2015, Cheika is planning a Tigers revival after they finished eighth last season, saying: “We’re doing it to win everything”.
“It all happened relatively quickly. A job is about the right person in the right team at the right time, and it was just the right time for me,” said the 57-year-old, whose wife and four children have returned to Australia.
“I’ve been in contact with Leicester at different times and the timing didn’t work out. I probably didn’t have the ambition to get to the Premiership, but when a club like Leicester takes that approach and the opportunity comes at the right time for you, it’s almost impossible not to take it.
“I just took what I could get and put it in a bag and left the family in Paris for a while. I’m still in a hotel because the priority was to get here. You can always settle down later.
“The one-year contract is because of the speed and the personal situation. We didn’t really talk about it that much, we just said yes and it happened. I think this is going to be a long-term thing once I sort out those personal things.”