Rugby showboaters wearing double-digit jersey numbers remain dangerously close to the top of the list of reasons why some old-school parents still believe corporal punishment should make a comeback. 🤣
Not content with dancing on the field and celebrating tries before they’ve even crossed the white chalk, these glamour boys have now added Olympic-standard swan dives to their repertoire. It feels like every try must apparently be accompanied by enough airtime to impress the judges.
Unfortunately, their theatrical antics are creating a new problem. Once a player launches himself into orbit, defenders close enough instinctively try to prevent the grounding. Before long, what should have been a straightforward finish turns into a mid-air collision involving bodies, boots and techniques that range from merely questionable to “should that be a cardable offence?”.
It happened in a KZN first XV fixture over the weekend. It happened in a televised Noordvaal Cup game a few weeks ago. And if you’ve spent any time around schoolboy rugby in recent seasons, chances are you’ve seen it yourself. Somewhere between the tryline and the dead-ball line, common sense has been replaced by auditions for Cirque du Soleil.
Which raises an important question.
When Airborne Jordan launches himself towards or over the tryline and and a desperate defender feels duty-bound to remind the attacker that gravity remains undefeated, what exactly is the correct decision for the referee? Especially when the attempt to stop the try from being scored looks a bit reckless.
So World Rugby addressed this here and its quite an interesting call:
https://passport.world.rugby/laws-of-the-game/law-clarifications/2022/clarification-3-2022/
NZR seeks clarity on 2 issues:
• Law 9.17 states “a player must not tackle, charge, pull, push or grasp an opponent whose feet are off the ground”.
• Law 9.11 states “players must not do anything that is dangerous to others including leading with elbow or forearm”.
• Law 9.7 states “ a player must not intentionally infringe any law of the game”Q.1 When a player hurdles/jumps over a tackler who is attempting to make a low legal tackle, this stops the defender from being able to tackle the ball carrier (as the ball carrier is now in the air and not able to be tackled). This seems unfair and against law 9.7 “unfair play”.
In SRP round 1 Pita Gus hurdles Aaron Smith, re lands on his feet and then dives to score
NZ Rugby wants to know is this legal or illegal, unfair play or unfair and dangerous play?Q.2 In 2021, Jonny May scored by leaping/diving over a covering tackler and scoring in the corner. His dive/leap and twist allowed him to score directly in one movement.
NZ Rugby wants to know if this is legal/illegal, unfair play or unfair and dangerous play.Clarification of the designated members of the Rugby Committee
A.1 We agree – jumping to hurdle a potential tackler is dangerous play, as is the act of a ball carrier jumping into a tackle. Even if no contact is made, we believe this act is in clear contravention of law 9.11, and runs contrary to the game-wide focus on player welfare.
In this specific case the sanction should be a PK against the ball carrier.A.2 A ball carrier may dive with the ball in order to score a try, and we all agree that should be allowed. From an equity perspective, if they do so, a defender may attempt to make a safe and legal tackle on that player. As we have said above, jumping to avoid a tackle should be regarded as dangerous play and should be sanctioned accordingly, even if no contact is made.
Player welfare should remain the priority deciding factor for match officials in these very rare situations. In such instances as this rare example, which involves great player skill and dexterity, match officials have to make a judgement call as to which actions have taken place. If there is any element of dangerous play, in line with the above ruling, then a try cannot be the reward.In principle, in a try scoring situation, if the action is deemed to be a dive forward for a try, then it should be permitted. If a player is deemed to have left the ground to avoid a tackle; or to jump, or hurdle a potential tackler, then this is dangerous play and should be sanctioned accordingly.
It is fairly obvious when a player dives to ensure scoring and when he dives to be a disrespectful clown. I prefer it if the defenders take out the clown permanently and not just to stop him from scoring. If you are disrespectful you must face the consequences.
@OUD ANKER (Comment #6) I’m not saying Kaya started this trend ok, but he used to do a lovely low dive to score tries, especially against Stofberg, otherwise a slide score (grass burn danger). It became an East Rand trend, and has slowly spread and escalated. Not bragging, just setting the record straight.
@Smallies (Comment #5)
Gevaarlike spel word gewoonlik met ‘n geelkaart gestraf. As ek nou so deur die lug duik om die drie te druk met geen teenstander naby my nie en ek val myself moer toe in die proses, gaan ek ‘n geelkaart kry vir gevaarlike spel en gaan die drie gekanselleer word…ek vra namens ‘n vriend.
Ek dink die skole moet maar duidelike riglyne rondom try scoring celebrations he ,om soos superman te duik vra om seer te kry en lyk eintlik klein bietjie fuctup….na my simpel mening is die nie soker nie ,om die waarheid te se sokker se celebrations het baie afgeplat en rugby sin raak al hoe meer over the top
In my opinie… die beste manier om ‘n try te celebrate is deur Danie Gerber se voorbeeld te volg… druk die drie en draf terug middellyn toe – geen tierlantyntjies, wiggle-worm-duikslag, of Renaldo celebrations vir die crowd nie. Just put it down and jog back… Laat my dink aan die ou oom se raad… “act like you’ve done this before”
Indien ek naby genoeg aan so speler is terwyl hy n sirkusnar wil wees sal ek hom definitief geduik het om te verhoed dat hy n drie kan druk, veral as dit naby die kantlyn is. Kan nie sien hoe dit gevaarlike spel kan wees nie. As ek reg onthou het George Greegan vir Jeff Wilson so geduik en Wilson het die bal verloor terwyl hy oor die doellyn was.
@General – I also agree.
I saw that try you refer to when the scoring player did a high swan dive and his feet got knocked by a desperate last gasp defender. Definitely dangerous. But I feel the high diver is just as much to blame as the foot tackler in that case. I’m also remembering the Sheehan try for the B&I Lions v Australia last year where he dived (dangerously) over tacklers but it was allowed because the try resulted (he landed over the tryline). But saw him try it again for Ireland in the 6N and it was penalised because he fell short of the tryline. I think correctly penalised. I feel coaches must stamp this out, because besides these points, it is reckless to the player himself, because it could result in injury…it could also result in losing the ball. On both those counts coaches should discourage it. And it’s unneccesarily arrogant. A low safe dive is OK.
I can not aggree more. I love soccer, but hate the acting and showbusiness. I love rugby, but there is an increasing amout of acting and showbusiness kreeping into the game. What you describe when players score a try, is dangerous play, and should be heavily penalised. But it is also too often accompanied with extreme celebrations. Emotion is part of the game. Showing your emotion after scoring a try, is just human and is good. But it should not become crowd entertainment. After all, the values of a school should be visible in how coaches coach, and in how players play and act. The manner in which you celebrate success, but also deal with failure for that matter, is part of education. Showing respect in your interaction with the referee, your behaviour after you were penalised for in infringement, the manner in which players are milking penalties, etc, reflect the spirit in which a school plays the game. Let referees do their work (and obviously not all referees are capable), and let the captain do his work. Let the boys play, play hard, have fun, celebrate success, but always is an a worthy manner. Worthy of the individual, and worthy of his school.