The current format of the Euro Championship awards a bonus point to teams that score four tries or lose by a margin of seven points or fewer. Some argue that this system encourages attacking play, while others claim it distorts the standings by favoring already dominant teams. Do you think the bonus point rule should be changed, for example by raising the try threshold or removing the losing bonus point? What impact would this have on the competitiveness and entertainment value of the tournament?
Should the bonus system be standardized between the domestic league and European competitions?
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Comparing the Rugby bonus system to the NBA's "biggest" rule (an extra point for road wins) shows that keeping the losing margin tight but raising the threshold to five tries—just as increasing the value of a three-pointer does—would encourage more attacking play without unbalancing the standings.
The current bonus point system, which awards a point to teams scoring at least four tries or losing by fewer than seven points, effectively creates a dual incentive: to push for attack and to limit score gaps. However, in practice, it mainly benefits already well-ranked teams, which have the ability to "find" those four tries even when slightly dominated. This reinforces the hierarchy rather than challenging it, and bottom-ranked teams struggle to catch up because they are often forced into pure defensive play to avoid defeat, at the expense of entertainment.
An alternative would be to raise the try threshold to five, or replace the "losing bonus" with a relative distance criterion (for example, one point for a difference of fewer than five points). This change would still reward offensive play but make obtaining the bonus more difficult, forcing every team to truly aim to surpass their opponent rather than settling for a modest margin. In most championships, teams that manage to meet this new threshold are already among the most competitive, maintaining balance without excessively penalizing weaker teams.
From an entertainment perspective, raising the threshold from four to five tries ensures more dynamic matches: teams can no longer rely on a "halfway" game to secure the point. Furthermore, removing the losing bonus eliminates the tendency to "play for the point," pushing teams to seek outright victory. The result would be a tournament where every try truly counts, while avoiding making the standings too predictable. In short, adjusting bonus criteria would be a way to balance competitiveness and appeal without disrupting the spirit of the game.