PREM Rugby make major refereeing changes at Steve Borthwick’s request
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PREM Rugby will change the way key areas of the game are refereed this season following talks involving England boss Steve Borthwick.
Officials will adopt interpretations designed to bring the domestic competition more closely in line with Test rugby, helping England players make the transition to the international game ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup.
According to The Guardian, Borthwick met with PREM directors of rugby last month before the RFU’s refereeing team outlined the planned approach for the new season.
The scrum, offside line and breakdown are among the key areas in focus.
It comes after Borthwick previously raised concerns over differences between how the breakdown is refereed domestically and internationally, where the contest for possession can be considerably more aggressive.
One PREM director of rugby explained the thinking behind the change.
“The standard and the intensity of the Prem has increased. At international level the speed is quicker than it is in the Prem. The physicality is more intense and then there’s the nature and style and strategy of the game,” he told The Guardian.
“That comes down in part to how it’s refereed and we had a conversation around the product we want to get out there and the nuances and interpretations of the laws. Can we align that with international refereeing?”
The scrum is particularly significant with England attempting to close the gap on back-to-back world champions South Africa before the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
The Springboks again demonstrated the value of their set-piece during their recent four-Test series victory over the All Blacks, with the scrum proving a major battleground throughout Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
One of the laws being targeted in the PREM is the controversial brake-foot requirement for hookers.
That became a major talking point during the final Springboks-All Blacks Test in Baltimore when England referee Karl Dickson penalised New Zealand hooker Codie Taylor twice for infringements.
All Blacks assistant coach Neil Barnes was less than impressed with the emphasis being placed on it.
He described it afterwards as a law “which no one really gives a shit about, but the referees are concentrating on”.
The brake-foot requirement was initially introduced as a safety measure in 2022 and requires hookers to keep one foot forward during the early stages of the scrum engagement.
England’s scrum has developed significantly under Borthwick and assistant coach Tom Harrison, but South Africa remain the benchmark heading towards next year’s World Cup.
The new approach in the PREM is designed to ensure England’s players are exposed to interpretations closer to those they will encounter at Test level every week rather than having to adjust when they enter international camp.
The changes will come into effect immediately when the 2026/27 PREM Rugby season gets underway this weekend.
