Tom McCarthy

Is my translation correct? On Sud Radio, Matthieu Raynal, head of the high-performance refereeing unit at the FFR, expressed his disapproval of the multiple law changes promoted by the southern hemisphere to speed up the pace of rugby matches. “They (the southern hemisphere) want more passing, more tries, less time spent in mauls and scrums. Whereas we (the northern hemisphere) defend these specific elements and are against directions being set by the southern hemisphere. Our championship works, our stadiums are full, rugby is more watched than football in the country. We don’t want to follow directions coming from countries where stadiums are empty, where they are trying to recreate spectacle and bring people back to stadiums at any cost, even if it means sacrificing fairness and the principle of player safety.”