Today, I'm joined by New Zealand Rugby's Mike Hester to chat about their law variations for the 2023 rugby season. They include a lower tackle height, a restriction on scrum halves and for the pack as a whole. All three are important for all referees and match officials across Aotearoa. Mike is NZR's Game Participation Manager, and he tells me about: His background as an elite referee - in football!His shift into game participationThe shape of New Zealand rugby and the challenges they faceThe tackle height changes in New Zealand for 2023 and what's behind themOther changes in the game - scrum half restrictions, 1.5m pushFuture consultation on changes to the breakdownReferee recruitment and retention in NZ - this is the research Mike mentions about the early refereeing experience of community referees More on the changes: New Zealand Rugby game innovations 2023 Contact Mike via LinkedIn If you have any comments about this episode, or suggestions for future shows, then drop me a line at [email protected]! You can follow us here: Twitter: RugbyRefereenet Instagram: RugbyRefereenet Facebook: Page: RugbyReferee.net Facebook Group: RugbyReferee.net Community Or you can connect with Keith personally on Twitter or LinkedIn