Scrum, foul play, TMO – what can we expect from refs this autumn?

World Rugby will emphasise clearer, more consistent refereeing this November as the Nations Championship returns, focusing on scrums, foul play and the Television Match Official’s role. The changes aim to support a safer, more continuous game while preserving contests at the breakdown and set-piece, amid rising try numbers and more time with the ball in play.

At scrums, both loosehead props must keep their right shoulders out and the hooker must ground a brake foot in the tunnel. TMOs will intervene only on clear and obvious matters, mainly foul play and tries, within a short window. Officials will treat hip-drop tackles as yellow-card offences, reinforce rules on tacklers dropping to their knees, and use 20-minute red cards for tackle or breakdown offences meeting the red-card threshold; permanent reds remain for egregious off-ball foul play. Across the 2024 to 2026 Nations Championship and Nations Cup matches, tries rose from six to eight per game while kicked penalties fell from 3.5 to 1.5.