Outeniqua hooker Keaton Olivier slotted a close-range, angled penalty after the hooter to secure a dramatic 30–29 victory and break Maritzburg College hearts.
However, the legitimacy of the kick was soon questioned.
Following the penalty award, Olivier was visible on the sidelines with his coaching staff. On the field, the Outeniqua captain indicated a shot at goal, with scrumhalf Fagen Hendricks appearing set to take the kick. Yet, after a replay sequence had run, Olivier was shown lining up and ultimately taking the decisive shot.
This raised questions around whether a substitution had been made after the decision to kick at goal, and if so, whether it was within the laws of the game.
Rugby Law:
Once a penalty has been awarded and the team indicates they are kicking at goal, the referee will normally not allow a substitution purely to bring on a specialist kicker.
This is to prevent time-wasting and gamesmanship.
What is allowed:
If a substitution is requested before the kick is indicated, and the referee permits it, then the incoming player can take the kick.
Substitutions are more commonly allowed at clear stoppages (tries, injuries, halftime, etc.), not during a live decision phase like setting up a kick at goal.
That said, schoolboy rugby in South Africa can have competition-specific rules (e.g. festivals vs league matches), so there can be slight variations.
Bottom line: You can’t usually roll on a kicker after the penalty decision has been made and the shot is being set up — it’s at the referee’s discretion, but most will not allow it.
If it’s your reserve hooker taking the kick, it SHOULD be allowed!
COLLEGE VS OUTENIQUA