If, like me, you were a bit surprised this week to hear the news that former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is in cahoots on that plan to introduce 12-a-side rugby, you might like to know that there is actually a good reason for him doing that.

Apparently, Hansen is backing this new form of rugby out of sheer frustration with how complicated traditional rugby has become.

And you can’t accuse him of not trying to fix rugby from the inside first.

He has been calling on World Rugby to rip up the rule book and simplify the game for a very long time. 

The earliest record of him saying it publicly was all the way back in 2004 when he was the coach of the Welsh team.

He said it again as coach of the All Blacks in 2014.

He said it again the following year.

And he said it again about a fortnight ago here on Newstalk ZB with Elliott Smith.

And he’s right isn’t it? 

I mean there are times when I’m watching a game and I have no idea why a player’s just been penalised. 

I couldn’t explain the goal-line drop out rule to you. 

I’ve got no idea what’s going on there any more.

And then you’ve got the frustration of ridiculous situations like Jordie Barrett copping a red card last week for an accidental boot in an Australian face.

That yes, is to the letter of the law so you can’t fault the ref.

But then is so clearly unintentional that the judiciary body later overrules the ref.

I don’t subscribe to the view that the complicated rules have got so bad that they’re driving fans away.

But it can’t be helping in recruiting new fans. 

Because who wants to start watching a game that hardly anyone can explain to you? 

So maybe Steve Hansen’s right to back a new, simpler form of the game.

He’s clearly bashed his head against a brick wall with World Rugby for years.

Maybe this is the kick up the backside world rugby needs.

Or maybe, it’s the new refreshing form of the game us fans need.