In this engaging discussion, Keith Lewis, a practicing rugby referee and founder of RugbyReferee.net, shares his expertise on the latest innovations in rugby laws, including three new regulations for the season. He dives into the nuances of tackle height changes and how they're crucial for player safety, particularly in junior rugby. Keith also tackles ongoing challenges with scrum rules, emphasizing the need for clarity and consistency in officiating. Finally, he highlights the importance of a supportive community for referees, fostering collaboration with coaches to elevate the game.

Keith Lewis is the Laws Co-ordinator at World Rugby and Founder of RugbyReferee.net and is at the fulcrum of many of the law changes in the world of rugby union. The team scrum down to discuss how the laws have changed the game over the years, how to manage the balance between player safety and spectator entertainment and how new laws are introduced into the game. PLUS Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa established a new women's world marathon record at the Berlin Marathon. But how much of a factor is the shoe tech and how do we measure the athletic performance?SHOW NOTES:The article we discussed in the context of how running shoes have undermined all trust in the human contribution to running records, by Knopp The comparison between different shoes, showing large differences within the same runner in different shoes, and between shoesThe paper that Jordan Santos-Concejero commented on, showing that reducing shoe mass makes a difference to running economyThe link between running economy and performanceGuest Keith Lewis’ details:Email: Laws@worldrugby.orgX: @keithlewisrugbyLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/keithlewisrugbyWebsite: rugbyreferee.net Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.