“Phil Waugh Pushes for Faster Rugby to Re-engage Fans Amid Super Rugby Pacific Challenges”
Rugby Australia’s Phil Waugh is emphasizing the need for a faster-paced game and increased ball-in-play time to win back disheartened fans. In Auckland for a Super Rugby Pacific interim board meeting, Waugh, along with New Zealand Rugby Union’s Mark Robinson, addresses the challenges facing Australian rugby. While some deny the competition is in crisis, the SANZAR heavyweights acknowledge the importance of proactive measures to combat declining interest. Waugh argues for minimizing stoppages and increasing ball-in-play time, citing statistics that revealed less than half of the 80-minute match times had the ball in play during the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
