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Premiership and RFU will not adopt latest World Rugby law trials designed to reduce coronavirus risk

Faf de Klerk of Sale Sharks looks for a pass - GETTY IMAGES
Faf de Klerk of Sale Sharks looks for a pass - GETTY IMAGES

The Premiership will not adopt any of the ten law trials designed by World Rugby to limit the risk of transmitting Covid-19.

As Telegraph Sport reported on Tuesday, World Rugby have given the green light to temporary measures eliminating reset scrums and choke tackles. While the majority of the measures are geared towards the community game, the introduction of an “orange card” for potential red-card offences was designed for the elite level.

However, Premiership Rugby indicated they will not seek the Rugby Football Union’s permission to deploy any of the measures, which are optional for individual unions to adopt depending on country’s transmission rate and government advice.

It is felt that professional players should already have sufficient protection from the screening regime that is currently being formulated by the Professional Game Board’s working group. Switching from one set of laws to another, particularly around the maul and scrum, effectively midway through the season was also thought to be unworkable.

“We are undertaking a review of all aspects of the game to ensure the safe return of Gallagher Premiership Rugby, but don’t anticipate any law changes,” a Premiership Rugby spokesperson said.

The Rugby Football Union also appeared to distance itself from implementing any of the ten law trials. “The RFU has its own review underway looking at the options for return to training and return to play rugby for clubs in England,” an RFU spokesperson said.

“When government advice on social distancing measures are eased, specific RFU guidance will be announced and provided to clubs.”

Geech on Friday promotion
Geech on Friday promotion

The New Zealand Rugby Union has previously stated that it will not be adopting the laws when domestic Super Rugby resumes next month. World Rugby’s measures were compiled by the Law Review Group, which includes All Blacks head coach Ian Foster, referee Jaco Peyper and ex-New Zealand centre Conrad Smith, after an analysis of 60 matches.

They decided against mandatory application of the laws given the variable rates of coronavirus in different territories. It is hoped the package of laws would lower the transmission risk among players by reducing contact in rucks, scrums and mauls by 25-50 per cent.

As well as removing scrum resets, there will be no option to take a scrum from a penalty or a free-kick with a goal-line drop-out being used when an attacking player is held up over the try-line. The laws also target the maul with no reinforcements allowed to join a maul and that there can only be one forward movement rather than two.

Perhaps the most eye-catching law is reducing the “use it” time from five to three seconds, which could result in a far quicker game. The sanction would be a free kick rather than a scrum.

Orange cards would also result in players leaving the field while the Television Match Official decides whether to upgrade the punishment to a red card. If it does not meet that threshold the offending player would stay off the pitch for 15 minutes.