Latest news with #MarlboroughBoys'College
NZ Herald
4 hours ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
School Sport NZ proposes ban on Year 14 student athletes in competitions
The debate came to a head in high school rowing earlier this year when a group of high school principals banded together to force a vote on the eligibility rules for the Maadi Regatta. The schools overwhelmingly voted in favour of a rule change banning Year 14 rowers from competing in the prestigious event. The issue has also been fiercely debated in rugby circles this season after RNZ revealed Marlborough Boys' College, one of the top rugby schools in the South Island, had five Year 14s in its line-up this year. SSNZ chairperson and principal of Shirley Boys' High School Tim Grocott said it is hoped the proposed rule changes, which would also include new anti-poaching measures, would address many longstanding challenges in secondary school sport. 'What we're really saying is that we're wanting greater integrity, greater fairness, and greater consistency across competitions,' said Grocott. 'Where that integrity piece fits really clearly is at the championship level. So at that top tier of competition, we're wanting to see as best as possible a level playing field existing.' Tim Grocott, principal of Shirley Boys' High School, says other principals may have said "we don't think that's right" if they'd known earlier about the number of Year 14s in the Marlborough Boys' team Photo / RNZ Niva Chittock Grocott said after receiving a strong mandate from principals to change the eligibility for the Maadi Cup earlier this year, there was a push to ensure the rules were consistent across all sports. 'Really what we want to do is re-emphasise that educational piece. Students are at school for their education, and the sport is a byproduct of that. 'If people want to come back for Year 14, then that's fine if it's for an educational purpose. It isn't for a sporting purpose.' Marlborough Boys' College principal Jarrod Dunn told RNZ last month his school did not set out to stack its rugby team with Year 14s to gain a competitive advantage. He said in previous years the school may have had 'one or two' students return for Year 14, but this year is an 'anomaly' in that they had a large cohort of eight students return to school because of the current social climate making it difficult for young people to find employment in the region. Dunn said he did not think it was fair to deny the Year 14 boys the opportunity to participate in all areas of school life. As is the case with rowing, the proposed rules would allow schools to apply for a dispensation to field a Year 14 athlete where there were 'valid educational grounds for a student's continued enrolment in Year 14'. It's understood schools would need to meet a strict set of criteria before a dispensation could be granted. Three schools applied for an exemption to field a Year 14 student at this year's Maadi Regatta at Lake Kārapiro – all three were declined. 'Poaching' and home school competitor rules The proposed changes also include updated guidelines on student transfers, poaching, composite teams and dispensations. Under the new rules, the definition of poaching has been strengthened to 'include any act of influencing, encouraging or approaching a student to transfer to another school for the purposes of sport participation', whether directly or indirectly through a third party. Grocott said the 'new to school' rules have also been tightened to introduce a new transfer process. If a student wants to compete in a championship level event for a new school, statutory declarations must be signed by the transferring student, their caregivers and the principal of the new school. 'We're wanting to clamp down on those behaviours around influencing, encouraging, approaching, and providing inducements for students to move from one school to another,' he said. 'It flies in the face of that educational piece that we're wanting to see.' However, the summary document released to principals on Tuesday did not include proposed rules for home-school students. Currently, School Sport NZ rules allow students who are home-schooled to compete in secondary school events, but they are not eligible to win medals or titles. The issue was thrust into the spotlight in April this year when Tauranga mountain-biker Amelia Twiss placed second in the North Island Secondary Schools championships, but was denied a medal. 'The board is still considering how best to include [home school students], and once a recommended approach is confirmed, it will be consulted on separately and incorporated into the final draft where appropriate,' the document stated. The consultation period for the draft regulations closes on September 12. SSNZ chief executive Mike Summerell said input from schools would be critical in shaping the final version of the regulations. The new regulations would apply to all SSNZ-sanctioned events from January 1, 2026.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Blanket ban on ‘Year 14s' in school sport proposed in new eligibility rules
Marlborough Boys' College has five year 14 students in its first XV rugby team this season. Photo: Chris Symes / The controversial practice of Year 14 students competing in secondary school sports events will be banned under proposed new eligibility rules. School Sport NZ (SSNZ) on Wednesday released its draft eligibility rules following a lengthy review. Among the key proposed rule changes is a blanket ban on students returning for a sixth year of high school - known as year 14s - from competing in SSNZ sanctioned events. The year 14 issue has been the subject of debate within top-flight secondary school events for decades, with critics claiming the practice stokes a "win at all costs" attitude. The debate came to a head in high school rowing earlier this year when a group of high school principals banded together to force a vote on the eligibility rules for the Maadi Regatta. The schools overwhelmingly voted in favour of a rule change banning year 14 rowers from competing in the prestigious event. The issue has also been fiercely debated in rugby circles this season after RNZ revealed Marlborough Boys' College, one of the top rugby schools in the South Island, had five year 14s in its line-up this year . SSNZ chairperson and principal of Shirley Boys' High School Tim Grocott said it is hoped the proposed rule changes, which would also include new anti-poaching measures, would address many longstanding challenges in secondary school sport. "What we're really saying is that we're wanting greater integrity, greater fairness, and greater consistency across competitions," said Grocott. "Where that integrity piece fits really clearly is at the championship level. So at that top tier of competition, we're wanting to see as best as possible a level playing field existing." Grocott said after receiving a strong mandate from principals to change the eligibility for the Maadi Cup earlier this year, there was a push to ensure the rules were consistent across all sports. "Really what we want to do is re-emphasise that educational piece. Students are at school for their education, and the sport is a byproduct of that. "If people want to come back for year 14, then that's fine if it's for an educational purpose. It isn't for a sporting purpose." Marlborough Boys' College principal Jarrod Dunn told RNZ last month his school did not set out to stack its rugby team with year 14s to gain a competitive advantage. He said in previous years the school may have had "one or two" students return for year 14, but this year is an "anomaly" in that they had a large cohort of eight students return to school due to the current social climate making it difficult for young people to find employment in the region. Dunn said he did not think it was fair to deny the year 14 boys the opportunity to participate in all areas of school life. As is the case with rowing, the proposed rules would allow schools to apply for a dispensation to field a year 14 athlete where there were "valid educational grounds for a student's continued enrolment in year 14". It's understood schools would need to meet a strict set of criteria before a dispensation could be granted. Three schools applied for an exemption to field a year 14 student at this year's Maadi Regatta at Lake Kārapiro - all three were declined . Shirley Boys' High School headmaster Tim Grocott said the new eligibility rules are aimed at levelling the playing field in high school sport. Photo: RNZ / Niva Chittock The proposed changes also include updated guidelines on student transfers, poaching, composite teams, and dispensations. Under the new rules, the definition of poaching has been strengthened to "include any act of influencing, encouraging or approaching a student to transfer to another school for the purposes of sport participation", whether directly or indirectly through a third party. Grocott said the "new to school" rules have also been tightened to introduce a new transfer process. If a student wants to compete in a championship level event for a new school, statutory declarations must be signed by the transferring student, their caregivers and the principal of the new school. "We're wanting to clamp down on those behaviours around influencing, encouraging, approaching, and providing inducements for students to move from one school to another," he said. "It flies in the face of that educational piece that we're wanting to see." However, the summary document released to principals on Tuesday did not include proposed rules for home school students. Currently, School Sport NZ rules allow students that are home schooled to compete in secondary school events, but they are not eligible to win medals or titles. The issue was thrust into the spotlight in April this year when Tauranga mountain-biker Amelia Twiss placed second in the North Island Secondary Schools championships, but was denied a medal. "The board is still considering how best to include [home school students], and once a recommended approach is confirmed, it will be consulted on separately and incorporated into the final draft where appropriate," the document stated. The consultation period for the draft regulations closes on 12 September. SSNZ chief executive Mike Summerell said input from schools would be critical in shaping the final version of the regulations. The new regulations would apply to all SSNZ-sanctioned events from 1 January 2026. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Row over SI school rugby team's five 'year 14s'
By Dana Johanssen of RNZ The schoolboy rugby team that made international headlines last month over a controversial try is facing further claims of dubious tactics by rivals. RNZ has learned Marlborough Boys' College, one of the top rugby schools in the South Island, has five "year 14" students in its first XV team this season. The make-up of the team has raised concerns about the integrity of the first XV competition, known as the Miles Toyota Premiership, and wider questions about the overheated nature of schoolboy rugby. The year 14 phenomenon, whereby students return for a sixth year of high school for sporting purposes, has long been a source of contention in secondary school sport. The practice has been banned in rowing. In 2018, age eligibility for secondary school rugby changed from under-19 to under-18 as of 1 January of the competition year, which appeared to temper the environment around first XV rugby. But school sports officials say the Marlborough Boys' College example shows more needs to be done to rein in the practice. One parent claimed the Marlborough team's actions are "making a mockery" of the premier competition, which involves schools in the Crusaders' catchment area stretching from Nelson, at the top of the South Island, to Timaru. "The biggest issue I've got is not necessarily what they're doing, although I don't believe what they're doing is in the spirit of secondary school rugby. But when you have five boys coming back to play rugby, they're blocking the path of other boys who won't get the opportunity to play in the first XV and share that experience with their peers," said the parent, who asked not to be named out of concern that their children may experience backlash. "I know there's a lot of people in Blenheim who aren't particularly happy with the approach here. There'll be some that are delighted because [Marlborough] are sticking it to the big Christchurch schools and beating Nelson [College] who are their local rivals. But how they're achieving it is pretty questionable in my opinion." Tonga Taumoefolau, coach of the Marlborough Boys' College first XV, disputed claims that having five year 14s in the team had created an uneven playing field, and questioned the motives of those "calling us out". The Marlborough Boys' College team, known as the Falcons, sit second in the premiership with five wins from five outings this season, just behind Christchurch Boys' High School, which has an additional bonus point. "I think your sources are revealing a bit about their character, that's how I feel," said Taumoefolau. "Two of the year 14 boys are not in the starting line-up, so only three of those boys are starting our games and what I would call our regular mainstays. I'm really bemused we've got a bunch of schools worried about what we're doing when you consider some of the stuff that goes on in other schools. "I would suggest it might also be worth looking at how many schools have imported players from the islands in the past." Taumoefolau also claimed that having five year 14s in their line-up was not unusual in the context of the competition. He said in 2021 one rival school had nine year 14s in its first XV, while another school had six in 2023. He declined to name those schools and RNZ has been unable to verify the claims. Tony Smail, chief executive of Canterbury Rugby, which governs the competition, was unavailable for an interview, but in a statement confirmed the union was aware Marlborough Boys' College had five year 14 players registered this season. "It isn't common that there are five players in any given year at Year 14 but the key consideration for eligibility is age, not year level," he said. 'It's not a level playing field' Tim Grocott, principal of Shirley Boys' High School in Christchurch, which also features in the premiership competition, said he was shocked to learn there were five players in the Marlborough line-up. As player registration data only captures date of birth and year the player first started at the school, the number of year 14 students playing secondary schools rugby is difficult to quantify. But Grocott said having five in one team "is very, very unusual". "I haven't heard of a school who's had that number in previous years and a quick check of all of the team rosters of the premier competition… it appears that it is significantly higher than any other school," he said. Grocott said he is aware of one other school in the competition that "potentially has one or two year 14s". "What this issue has highlighted is I think there's probably a need for schools to be much more aware of what's happening and potentially push back a bit more," he said. "If we'd known earlier, perhaps the principals could have got together and said to Marlborough Boys' College, 'we don't think that's right'. It's not a level playing field. How are we going to operate in a better way that actually identifies and demonstrates the values of secondary school sport? Because I don't think having five year 14s does that." Marlborough Boys' College principal Jarrod Dunn insisted his school did not set out to stack its rugby team with year 14s to gain a competitive advantage. He said in previous years the school may have had "one or two" students return for year 14. This year was an "anomaly" with eight students returning to school because it was difficult for young people to find employment in the region. Of the eight students who started out the year, two have since left school. "We've not gone out to keep these boys at school just for rugby. That's not what we're about - we're a school, we're an academic institution. We're not a rugby club," he said. "[The students] are all in an academic programme and some of that includes through our Gateway and our Trades Academy trying to find work for those people. "At the moment, I guess because of the climate, it's a lot harder to find that work. And when you look at the age of these boys, all under 18, some of them are just not really mature enough to enter the workforce, so we'll try and find ways to keep them in school so we can try and help get them into employment when they do leave." Dunn said he understands the argument that the sixth year students could be blocking the pathway for other players to experience first XV rugby, but he did not think it was fair to deny the year 14 boys the opportunity to participate in all areas of school life. The controversial trick-shot seen around the world The school's first XV has already been in the spotlight this season after making international headlines following a try-scoring stunt in their narrow 28-26 win over neighbouring rivals Nelson College. The controversy occurred in the 33rd minute of the match when Marlborough were awarded a penalty shot in front of the posts, and the ball was placed on the kicking tee for a shot at goal. As the Nelson team huddled behind the posts, the penalty taker side-footed the ball to the left corner, which was chased down by his Falcons teammate, who dotted down in the corner. After a lengthy discussion between the referees, the try was awarded. The footage quickly went viral, with former international rugby referee Nigel Owens weighing in on the legality of the try. The incident also re-ignited another debate over the merits of broadcasting schoolboy rugby games. The match was Sky Sport's first live televised first XV match after a two-year hiatus, which was brought about in large part due to schools raising concerns about players being exposed to an unhealthy level of scrutiny. Some schools - notably those involved in Auckland's 1A competition - have elected not to allow Sky to broadcast its games due to player welfare concerns. Dunn said the furore that erupted after the school's win over Nelson has made him question whether televising secondary school sport "is the right way to go". "It's definitely had an impact on a couple of our players," he said. "There's the pressure for these boys to perform, which can be both positive and negative. The TV and the media can put these boys in the spotlight when they have a good game, but if they don't have a good game or they make a decision that the public don't agree with, then the keyboard warriors come out, and with the power of social media, it gets pretty nasty. "The person I feel the most sorry for is the referee because they're giving up their time to adjudicate the game and one decision which whether it's right or wrong, they get crucified for." Bringing the temperature down Grocott, the principal of Shirley Boys' High School, said he believes in general the temperature around schoolboy rugby in the South Island is cooling. "I think there's now a growing understanding that secondary school sport is a byproduct of being at school and getting an education, and that is our core function. We are there to educate and sport is a by-product of it, it's a fantastic by-product but we are not here to develop professional athletes," he said. "In terms of what I would call school behaviour, there's a few outliers around exploiting the rules around poaching and this year 14 issue, but in general it is improving. For those schools you have to ask what they are trying to achieve here? Are they interested in educating young people? Or are they looking to win rugby competitions and market their school on that basis? And I think where the challenge lies is finding that perspective." The furore in the South Island competition comes as School Sport NZ - the organisation that governs high school sport - is currently reviewing its eligibility rules for secondary schools events in 2026. Mike Summerell, chief executive of School Sport NZ, declined to be interviewed for this story, but said the organisation is hoping to have a draft go out to schools for final consultation in the coming days. As reported by RNZ earlier this year, School Sport NZ is weighing up a blanket year 14 ban at national secondary schools events after the issue erupted in rowing. In January, schools voted overwhelmingly in favour of a rule change for the Maadi Regatta, making students returning for their sixth year of high school ineligible to compete in the prestigious event. The move was engineered by a group of around 60 high school principals from across the country who, concerned the practice had become "a black mark" on the sport, called for a special general meeting to vote through a change to the eligibility rules for the event. The vote forced School Sport NZ to make a hasty change to its own rules, carving out a separate clause for rowing. Summerell told RNZ back in February that the "year 14 issue" is something that officials are looking at closely after receiving a number of submissions from principals pushing for the ban to be implemented across all "championship level" secondary schools events. He said widespread changes to the rules would have to be weighed up against the positive effects of sport being a vehicle to keeping young people engaged in education.
Otago Daily Times
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Top South Island school rugby team has five 'year 14s'
By Dana Johanssen of RNZ The schoolboy rugby team that made international headlines last month over a controversial try is facing further claims of dubious tactics by rivals. RNZ has learned Marlborough Boys' College, one of the top rugby schools in the South Island, has five "year 14" students in its first XV team this season. The make-up of the team has raised concerns about the integrity of the first XV competition, known as the Miles Toyota Premiership, and wider questions about the overheated nature of schoolboy rugby. The year 14 phenomenon, whereby students return for a sixth year of high school for sporting purposes, has long been a source of contention in secondary school sport. The practice has been banned in rowing. In 2018, age eligibility for secondary school rugby changed from under-19 to under-18 as of 1 January of the competition year, which appeared to temper the environment around first XV rugby. But school sports officials say the Marlborough Boys' College example shows more needs to be done to rein in the practice. One parent claimed the Marlborough team's actions are "making a mockery" of the premier competition, which involves schools in the Crusaders' catchment area stretching from Nelson, at the top of the South Island, to Timaru. "The biggest issue I've got is not necessarily what they're doing, although I don't believe what they're doing is in the spirit of secondary school rugby. But when you have five boys coming back to play rugby, they're blocking the path of other boys who won't get the opportunity to play in the first XV and share that experience with their peers," said the parent, who asked not to be named out of concern that their children may experience backlash. "I know there's a lot of people in Blenheim who aren't particularly happy with the approach here. There'll be some that are delighted because [Marlborough] are sticking it to the big Christchurch schools and beating Nelson [College] who are their local rivals. But how they're achieving it is pretty questionable in my opinion." Tonga Taumoefolau, coach of the Marlborough Boys' College first XV, disputed claims that having five year 14s in the team had created an uneven playing field, and questioned the motives of those "calling us out". The Marlborough Boys' College team, known as the Falcons, sit second in the premiership with five wins from five outings this season, just behind Christchurch Boys' High School, which has an additional bonus point. "I think your sources are revealing a bit about their character, that's how I feel," said Taumoefolau. "Two of the year 14 boys are not in the starting line-up, so only three of those boys are starting our games and what I would call our regular mainstays. I'm really bemused we've got a bunch of schools worried about what we're doing when you consider some of the stuff that goes on in other schools. "I would suggest it might also be worth looking at how many schools have imported players from the islands in the past." Taumoefolau also claimed that having five year 14s in their line-up was not unusual in the context of the competition. He said in 2021 one rival school had nine year 14s in its first XV, while another school had six in 2023. He declined to name those schools and RNZ has been unable to verify the claims. Tony Smail, chief executive of Canterbury Rugby, which governs the competition, was unavailable for an interview, but in a statement confirmed the union was aware Marlborough Boys' College had five year 14 players registered this season. "It isn't common that there are five players in any given year at Year 14 but the key consideration for eligibility is age, not year level," he said. 'It's not a level playing field' Tim Grocott, principal of Shirley Boys' High School in Christchurch, which also features in the premiership competition, said he was shocked to learn there were five players in the Marlborough line-up. As player registration data only captures date of birth and year the player first started at the school, the number of year 14 students playing secondary schools rugby is difficult to quantify. But Grocott said having five in one team "is very, very unusual". "I haven't heard of a school who's had that number in previous years and a quick check of all of the team rosters of the premier competition… it appears that it is significantly higher than any other school," he said. Grocott said he is aware of one other school in the competition that "potentially has one or two year 14s". "What this issue has highlighted is I think there's probably a need for schools to be much more aware of what's happening and potentially push back a bit more," he said. "If we'd known earlier, perhaps the principals could have got together and said to Marlborough Boys' College, 'we don't think that's right'. It's not a level playing field. How are we going to operate in a better way that actually identifies and demonstrates the values of secondary school sport? Because I don't think having five year 14s does that." Marlborough Boys' College principal Jarrod Dunn insisted his school did not set out to stack its rugby team with year 14s to gain a competitive advantage. He said in previous years the school may have had "one or two" students return for year 14. This year was an "anomaly" with eight students returning to school because it was difficult for young people to find employment in the region. Of the eight students who started out the year, two have since left school. "We've not gone out to keep these boys at school just for rugby. That's not what we're about - we're a school, we're an academic institution. We're not a rugby club," he said. "[The students] are all in an academic programme and some of that includes through our Gateway and our Trades Academy trying to find work for those people. "At the moment, I guess because of the climate, it's a lot harder to find that work. And when you look at the age of these boys, all under 18, some of them are just not really mature enough to enter the workforce, so we'll try and find ways to keep them in school so we can try and help get them into employment when they do leave." Dunn said he understands the argument that the sixth year students could be blocking the pathway for other players to experience first XV rugby, but he did not think it was fair to deny the year 14 boys the opportunity to participate in all areas of school life. The controversial trick-shot seen around the world The school's first XV has already been in the spotlight this season after making international headlines following a try-scoring stunt in their narrow 28-26 win over neighbouring rivals Nelson College. The controversy occurred in the 33rd minute of the match when Marlborough were awarded a penalty shot in front of the posts, and the ball was placed on the kicking tee for a shot at goal. As the Nelson team huddled behind the posts, the penalty taker side-footed the ball to the left corner, which was chased down by his Falcons teammate, who dotted down in the corner. After a lengthy discussion between the referees, the try was awarded. The footage quickly went viral, with former international rugby referee Nigel Owens weighing in on the legality of the try. The incident also re-ignited another debate over the merits of broadcasting schoolboy rugby games. The match was Sky Sport's first live televised first XV match after a two-year hiatus, which was brought about in large part due to schools raising concerns about players being exposed to an unhealthy level of scrutiny. Some schools - notably those involved in Auckland's 1A competition - have elected not to allow Sky to broadcast its games due to player welfare concerns. Dunn said the furore that erupted after the school's win over Nelson has made him question whether televising secondary school sport "is the right way to go". "It's definitely had an impact on a couple of our players," he said. "There's the pressure for these boys to perform, which can be both positive and negative. The TV and the media can put these boys in the spotlight when they have a good game, but if they don't have a good game or they make a decision that the public don't agree with, then the keyboard warriors come out, and with the power of social media, it gets pretty nasty. "The person I feel the most sorry for is the referee because they're giving up their time to adjudicate the game and one decision which whether it's right or wrong, they get crucified for." Bringing the temperature down Grocott, the principal of Shirley Boys' High School, said he believes in general the temperature around schoolboy rugby in the South Island is cooling. "I think there's now a growing understanding that secondary school sport is a byproduct of being at school and getting an education, and that is our core function. We are there to educate and sport is a by-product of it, it's a fantastic by-product but we are not here to develop professional athletes," he said. "In terms of what I would call school behaviour, there's a few outliers around exploiting the rules around poaching and this year 14 issue, but in general it is improving. For those schools you have to ask what they are trying to achieve here? Are they interested in educating young people? Or are they looking to win rugby competitions and market their school on that basis? And I think where the challenge lies is finding that perspective." The furore in the South Island competition comes as School Sport NZ - the organisation that governs high school sport - is currently reviewing its eligibility rules for secondary schools events in 2026. Mike Summerell, chief executive of School Sport NZ, declined to be interviewed for this story, but said the organisation is hoping to have a draft go out to schools for final consultation in the coming days. As reported by RNZ earlier this year, School Sport NZ is weighing up a blanket year 14 ban at national secondary schools events after the issue erupted in rowing. In January, schools voted overwhelmingly in favour of a rule change for the Maadi Regatta, making students returning for their sixth year of high school ineligible to compete in the prestigious event. The move was engineered by a group of around 60 high school principals from across the country who, concerned the practice had become "a black mark" on the sport, called for a special general meeting to vote through a change to the eligibility rules for the event. The vote forced School Sport NZ to make a hasty change to its own rules, carving out a separate clause for rowing. Summerell told RNZ back in February that the "year 14 issue" is something that officials are looking at closely after receiving a number of submissions from principals pushing for the ban to be implemented across all "championship level" secondary schools events. He said widespread changes to the rules would have to be weighed up against the positive effects of sport being a vehicle to keeping young people engaged in education.
1News
31-05-2025
- Sport
- 1News
Nigel Owens' verdict on controversial schoolboy try
A controversial try scored just before halftime in a South Island schoolboy rugby match has drawn global attention and a firm ruling from former international referee Nigel Owens. Marlborough Boys' College scored a 28-26 win over Nelson College, but it was a moment just before the break that has become the biggest talking point of the match. Lining up a penalty from right in front of the posts after informing the referee they were taking the kick, Marlborough centre Anru Erasmus instead nudged the ball towards the touchline to his teammate Finn Neal, who scored. The Nelson side were huddled under the posts expecting a straightforward penalty to be kicked. After a brief period of discussion with one of his assistants, the referee awarded the try. ADVERTISEMENT "He doesn't contravene any law that I can think of, so it's a try," he said. Commentator Jeff McTainsh called the incident "the most bizarre try you'll ever see". In a post to X, the Welsh ex-international referee Owens looked into the legality of the try. "No try. You must make a genuine attempt to kick at goal before the try can be allowed to stand. This clearly wasn't," the 53-year-old said, adding that the play should have been brought back. "PK void scrum." World Rugby Law 8.20 said: "If the team indicates to the referee the intention to kick at goal, they must kick at goal. The intention to kick can be communicated to the referee or signalled by the arrival of the kicking tee or sand, or when the player makes a mark on the ground." ADVERTISEMENT The moment has caused plenty of discussion, with the UK's Daily Telegraph and Planet Rugby covering the try.
