This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
On May 12, 2020, World Rugby announced a significant change to the rules of rugby union, effective immediately.
The governing body's council approved the amendment to law eight, which prohibits tries from being scored by grounding the ball against the post protector.
This change was made to address the increasing difficulty for teams to defend the area, as the post-protector shape and size have been modified for welfare reasons.
Additionally, World Rugby pointed out 'extreme cases' where the padding had been lifted or moved by defending teams, exposing players to a higher risk of injury.
According to World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont, the mission is to make the game 'as simple, safe and enjoyable to play as possible.'
Beaumont stated, "This law amendment reflects that mission. By stipulating that an attacking team can no longer score against the post protector and therefore must ground the ball in-goal, this gives defending teams a fair chance of preventing a try from being scored."
