UK Women's Super League : 2026

Rule Refinements

Rugby league administrators tweak rules to speed up the game and nullify tricks to slow it down. Some are also to ensure a level of protection for players. What are some problems I see and what rule changes would I implement accordingly?

Momentum Problem: Recent refinements such as "six again" have means a team with momentum in its favour are rewarded and more one sided scores are occuring as a result. Do those in charge not realise that people want to see closer encounters?

Possible Solution: The team that just conceded points restarts the game with a tap on the half way line. They retain possession and have a chance to put pressure on the opponent and take the momentum back. Soccer does this for that very reason.

Touchline Problem: A player with possession fearing being forced over the touchline. It reduces the attacking side using the full width of the field.

Possible Solution: If it isn't the last tackle, a player forced into touch is considered tackled and it adds one to the tackle count. The tackled player comes in ten metres and plays the ball. It would encourge touch line running which is exciting to watch.

Dragging Problem: Dragging a tackled player. 

Possible Solution: Pushing or forcing a ball carrying player back over his try line or into touch should be rewarded. Dragging gives too much reward to the attackers, forcing officials to sometimes blow the whistle to stop it. Why not just ban it?

Golden Point Problem: Golden point becomes an exercise in drop goal attempts. 

Possible Solution: Drop the golden point. Make it a set period of time instead (like soccer), thereby making one point less valuable. A second possibility is also to reduce the extra time players to say eleven. This would open up the game and encourage try scoring.

WCC History: 1976-2026 By Matches

This is mainly a 'detail' article. For those who want to see all the matches in detail, please look at the lower chart. Yellow is played in Australia, blue for England. HS means home team score and AS away team score. HW means hemisphere win, A and E is self explanatory. 

Before that is a clarification chart. Many feel that if more matches were played in Australia, then they would have done better. I think that is correct but not to an extreme degree. 

Below we see three rows. The first shows all 30 matches played, with England having a 53% win rate. Then matches played in Australia, five with a 60% success rate. Third, games played in England and Engalnd managing a 56% win rate.

From this we see that while the sample for Australia is low, they have lost two of them. In fact, while England has done better at home as expected, the percentage difference is surprisingly close. 

A larger number of games in Australia would surely have increased the percentage in that country's favour. Yet, it's by no means a given that they would have won an overwhelming number of them.

Please note: Any series or matches involving more than the top two from each country are not included here.