Rugby Laws Too Complicated? All Blacks Legend Calls for a Rewrite!

Sir Graham Henry, the legendary coach who led the All Blacks to victory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, is calling for a radical overhaul of rugby's law book. He believes the current rules are too complex, leaving both players and fans "dumbfounded." This comes after a series of yellow cards plagued the All Blacks in their recent Rugby Championship matches against Argentina.

Is Rugby Becoming Too Stop-Start?

Henry isn't alone in his concerns. Former All Blacks back-rower Murray Mexted has also lamented the excessive stoppages in games due to penalties. He argues that these stoppages disrupt the flow of the game and prevent the best team from necessarily winning.

"It was exceptional that there were an enormous number of stoppages in that game and penalties. When you have a stop-start game, the best team doesn’t necessarily win that game. It’s the team that sort of got the attention to detail," Mexted said on the Platform NZ.

Simplicity is Key

Henry believes that World Rugby needs to act quickly to simplify the laws. He suggests gathering a group of experts to rewrite the rule book from scratch, making it easier for everyone to understand.

"I think the rule book is too complicated," said Henry on Newstalk ZB. “They should blow it up and start again, quite frankly, it’s a negative.”

The call for simplified laws comes at a time when the game is constantly evolving and new interpretations of the rules are frequently introduced. Whether World Rugby will heed Henry's call remains to be seen, but the debate over the complexity of rugby's laws is certainly gaining momentum.