Our rugby writer Zeena Isaacs explained to me exactly how the playoff process works in the Super 15.

She patiently explained that one and two have a bye and three and foor knock on the door and five and six pick up sticks – well that’s what it sounded like.

Why do rugby administrators insist on making the game so complicated it risks entrenching itself as a passtime for an elite few who have the patience to try understand it?

I could go to a remote village in Papua New Guinea tomorrow and teach 22 people the rules of soccer in no time. I don’t know how good they’d be but they’d get it.

Imagine trying to explain Rugby to them. Offside, man in front of the kicker, rucks (attacking team and defending team), coming in from the gate, daylight between player and ground, no holding on, place the ball, tighthead, losing bind, maul, collapsing the maul, coming through the middle, played inside the 22, call the mark, quick line-out, five-man lineout, high tackle, tip tackle, obstruction, dummy runner, skip pass, intercept, drop goal, penalty, try, penalty try, rule changes, rule changes back to how they were, more rule changes, referee’s interpretation, southern hemisphere refereeing, northern hemisphere refereeing…and it goes on. Can you imagine their faces?

But once you get these rules it is an amazing game and you will be in love with it for life. But then why go and add even more complication such as a Super Rugby qualifying system that frankly only one in four of my friends understands?

Rugby is an amazing game and I never miss games if I can help it, but if we are to try convince our unconverted friends to start supporting the game it would help if the IRB and SANZAR would stick with something long enough for everyone to understand it before they make another change.

Tags: #Rugby, #rules