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Cape Town - The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has plans to stage an inter-state competition with matches lasting 50 minutes and teams not allowed to kick penalty goals.
ARU boss Bill Pulver told the Fox Sports website he hopes it will help restore the sporting code's ailing financial health.
Pulver recently returned from his first IRB meeting in Dublin, where he pitched plans for a modified 50-minute game "Super B" format to rugby's top lawmakers.
The third-tier competition would be fought out between state-based teams of rising junior and club players, and be staged as curtain raisers to Super Rugby games.
The games would only run for 25 minutes per half and penalty goals would be banned to encourage more on-field action.
Strict yellow card usage would serve as a deterrent to anarchy, or possibly free up space on the field.
The ARU has been given the green light by the IRB, which means they can enforce the proposed changes.
"The rules of rugby say a rugby match must have two halves, and each half cannot be greater than 40 minutes," Pulver said.
"So we are quite free to play 25 minutes halves. I also talked to them about seeking approval for no penalty goals.
"The truth is I actually don't have to do that. We can just get a coaches' agreement that we're not going to kick penalty goals."
Pulver said he initially intended to seek approval for a shorter yellow card sanction, but has since changed his mind and thinks 10 minutes is appropriate.
ARU boss Bill Pulver told the Fox Sports website he hopes it will help restore the sporting code's ailing financial health.
Pulver recently returned from his first IRB meeting in Dublin, where he pitched plans for a modified 50-minute game "Super B" format to rugby's top lawmakers.
The third-tier competition would be fought out between state-based teams of rising junior and club players, and be staged as curtain raisers to Super Rugby games.
The games would only run for 25 minutes per half and penalty goals would be banned to encourage more on-field action.
Strict yellow card usage would serve as a deterrent to anarchy, or possibly free up space on the field.
The ARU has been given the green light by the IRB, which means they can enforce the proposed changes.
"The rules of rugby say a rugby match must have two halves, and each half cannot be greater than 40 minutes," Pulver said.
"So we are quite free to play 25 minutes halves. I also talked to them about seeking approval for no penalty goals.
"The truth is I actually don't have to do that. We can just get a coaches' agreement that we're not going to kick penalty goals."
Pulver said he initially intended to seek approval for a shorter yellow card sanction, but has since changed his mind and thinks 10 minutes is appropriate.
