Here are the rugby headlines for Wednesday morning, August 7.
Welsh referee dies
Former Welsh referee Ken Parfitt has died aged 83.
The widely respected official never made it onto the international panel but refereed around the world, officiating matches in the Hong Kong Sevens and officiating the All Blacks’ match against the United Services at Aldershot in 1978.
He also refereed international tournaments in many countries around the UK before ending his career in 1988 at the age of 47.
Parfitt also worked for British Rail for over 26 years and later took up the position of secretary of Llanelli RFC in 1993. After five years in this role, he left Llanelli before becoming youth team manager of Crawshays Welsh.
He remained involved in Welsh rugby until his seventies, when he began managing the Ospreys Development XV and became team manager at Neath the following year.
The WRU paid tribute to Parfitt, saying: “We extend our heartfelt condolences to Ken’s family and friends.”
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There will be changes in the law in the big tournament
SANZAAR has confirmed that several new additional rule changes will be implemented in this year’s Rugby Championship.
Earlier this year, World Rugby announced three changes to the current rules, with teams no longer able to call a scrum from a free kick and the controversial ‘crocodile roll’ clearing and ‘Dupont’s Law’ offside rule also being banned. Several other trial variations have also been introduced in various competitions around the world.
These include the controversial 20-minute red card substitution rule, where players penalised for certain red card offences can be replaced by another player after 20 minutes. The rule has been approved for use in the Rugby Championship, which starts this weekend, but will be implemented with a change.
If a player’s foul is deemed to be deliberate and high danger, they will be shown a traditional ‘full’ red card, meaning that they will not be substituted for the remainder of the match.
Other rule changes include reducing time limits, with players given 60 seconds to take penalty kicks and conversions, and just 30 seconds to create a scrum or lineout.
Scrum-halves will also be given greater protection as defenders will no longer be allowed to tackle a player who is trying to “clear the ball away from the scrum, ruck or maul”. Referees will also be able to allow play to continue in the event of a crooked line-out, as long as the defending team does not interfere with the ball.
SANZAAR chairman Brendan Morris said he wanted to create a better spectacle for fans. “The Rugby Championship is the flagship of the sport in the southern hemisphere and every year we see the best players in the world competing for the title,” he said.
“We believe that this year’s championship, eagerly awaited by players and rugby fans, will once again showcase the best of the game with exciting and challenging action on the pitch, further enhanced by the evolution of the Laws of the Game.
“SANZAAR, on behalf of its member unions, continues to explore ways to make The Rugby Championship, and rugby in general, even more appealing to fans. In 2024, The Rugby Championship returns to its full format with 12 Test matches played in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.”
Twickenham name change defended
RFU president Bill Sweeney has defended the decision to change Twickenham’s name, claiming the organisation is “not sold out”.
In a sponsorship deal worth more than £100 million, the home of English rugby will be renamed the Allianz Stadium from September. The 82,000-seat stadium will be renamed for the first time in its 114-year history.
While the surprise move has been met with displeasure from many fans, Sweeney insists the investment will make the stadium better for both fans and players.
“I don’t really believe it’s 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 it will help us continue the legacy of the stadium, taking us into the future, decades from now, and Allianz’s investment will enable us to make Twickenham an even better experience for fans and players.
“We believe this is an investment in the future and that we are working with the kind of partner we need to embark on this journey.”
Sweeney added: “This is a multi-year commitment and well over £100m so it’s a fair value for what you’d expect for stadium naming rights these days. This is money we need to put back into the game.
“We’ve had a tough time coming out of Covid, the game is under pressure – we’ve seen three professional clubs go bankrupt [and] “That was incredibly painful. So, that’s the money that we need to generate, to invest back into the community game and to keep that pipeline going.”
Cheika hopes for long-term deal with Leicester
By Duncan Bech, England Rugby Correspondent
Michael Cheika has chosen a Leicester hotel as his temporary home as he dedicates himself to reviving the Tigers’ fortunes.
Cheika was living in Paris and was due to return to his native Australia with his family when the club approached him to replace Dan McKellar, who unexpectedly left the club in late June after just one season in charge.
The former Wallabies and Argentina manager, who describes himself as a transformation specialist, has signed a one-year contract with an option to extend his time in the East Midlands after completing a remarkable feat for Leicester and the Gallagher Premiership.
Five weeks into his first full-time club role since 2015, Cheika is planning a return to form for the Tigers, who finished eighth last season, and says: “We are here to win everything.”
“It all happened relatively quickly. A business is about choosing the right person for the right team at the right time and for me it was just the right time,” said the 57-year-old, whose wife and four children are back in Australia.
“I’ve had some contacts with Leicester at different times and the timing wasn’t right. I probably wasn’t aiming to come to the Premier League but when a club like Leicester has that approach and the opportunity comes at the right time, it’s almost impossible not to take it.
“I took everything I could, put it in a bag and left my family in Paris for a while. I’m still staying in a hotel because my priority was just to get here. You can move in later.
“The one-year contract is because of the speed and the personal situation. We didn’t really talk about it too much, we just said yes and it happened. I think it will be a long-term thing once I can sort out the personal stuff.”