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World Rugby considering dropping scrums in drastic rule change

(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

World Rugby is reportedly considering dramatic law changes as a way to get the sport running again after the Covid-19 pandemic.

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According to the Times, World Rugby’s Law Review Group has highlighted scrums and mauls as high-risk areas of the game that could be adapted or removed entirely by unions around the world to resume competition.

The close contact involved in scrums and mauls is unique among professional sport and rugby union has faced more challenges than most other sports in justifying its resumption in the face of a highly contagious virus.

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“The face-to-face contact in the scrums and rucks is unique and that is what is being looked at closely,” a source told the paper.

Now, World Rugby is looking at ways players can minimise time spent in those close-contact situations and scrums could be the first major phase of the game on the block.

According to the report, a free kick could replace scrums, mauls would be removed from the game and line-outs could go uncontested.

“The idea is to provide options for the professional and the community game below that, particularly if they do not have access to testing,” the source added.

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The idea of removing or limiting close-contact situations from the sport is expected to come under severe criticism. The opinion of one top coach is already known.

England coach Eddie Jones commented in 2017, after Italy refused to commit players to the ruck against his side, that it just wouldn’t be rugby.

“When you lose a primary contest from the game, it ceases to be rugby,” he said. “So, if you paid for your ticket, ask for your money back.”

New Zealand Rugby has confirmed that a domestic form of Super Rugby will start on Saturday June 13, but many international unions are struggling to get going again, particularly in Europe where plans to resume playing lag well behind other sports.

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Bull Shark 11 minutes ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere also tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting g decent airtime. But pat of the above is just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section.


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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