So, the English, Welsh and Irish RFUs have stood their ground, made their mark, fronted up, or employed any other rugby analogy that could be used to describe their resistance to some of the IRB’s Experimental Law Variations (ELVs).

‘The scrum is safe – for the time being’, is how commentators reacted to the Unions’ reluctance to adopt new Laws on sanctions that would see free kicks awarded for many offences previously punishable by scrums or penalties.

These rules have already been on trial on the professional stage, most notably in the ‘fast and furious’ Super 14s, where the feedback from players and coaches has been welcome – although some negative comments have been aimed at referees’ inconsistency with quick free kicks at the breakdown.

When the IRB’s council convened at the beginning of May, its Laws Project Group hoped to see 23 ELVs placed on a global trial from August 1.

But due to the European Unions’ misgivings, new Laws on sanctions, rucks and mauls will now be put on trial in a selected “elite” Northern hemisphere competition for 2008/09.

Thirteen ELVs were given the green light for global trial, however, and these include: a defending team being able to collapse a maul; no yardage gained when the ball is kicked directly into touch after being put back into the 22 from a lineout; no restriction on the number of players from each side in a lineout, with a minimum of two; the introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost foot of the scrum and the corner posts no longer being considered in touch in-goal except when a ball is grounded against the post.  

The introduction of the ELVs is the culmination of four years’ work since the IRB hosted its Conference on the Playing of the Game in January 2004, when member Unions asked it to examine the Laws.

Of all the new proposals it is amendments to the sanctions Law that has caused most concern in Britain where the current professional competition is highly regarded, leaving many to believe ‘if it isn’t broken, why try to fix it’.

The issue has been turned into a stereotyped argument between the cultural playing styles of the hemispheres, pitting the south’s dynamic, open and expansive game against the north’s reliance on set pieces and powerful forward play.
 
Some sections of the British press have denounced these new rules as signalling an end to scrummaging and playing into the south’s hands – especially Australia, who so evidently struggled at the scrum against England in last year’s World Cup.

Yet, despite all this bluster, the point appears to have largely been missed by some that under Law 21.4(a), a team awarded a free kick has the option of still taking a scrum. Surely this will give players the best of both worlds depending on field position, while allowing teams to slow the game down if they want to.

Away from the jingoistic sniping, the RFU believes some of the proposed laws could “fundamentally change the nature of the game,” and has announced a nationwide consultation on the issue. This is a welcome move, especially from a grassroots perspective.

Rugby union has always prided itself on being a sport for players of all shapes and sizes, and club rugby in England among all age groups is in fine condition.

The adoption of current ELVs will affect the game at all levels and, if rugby union is turned into a sport favoured by super-fit, fast, muscular players, less athletic players may be turned away from the only team sport that once gave them an equal chance to participate.

It is often argued that rugby is an evolving sport and any law changes that truly make the game better are welcomed. However, achieving a balanced and common consensus on this is a separate issue and we will have to wait until August 2009 to see if any of the Laws on trial will become permanent.

One thing is certain, with Southern hemisphere competitions continuing to use certain ELVs, a Northern hemisphere competition adopting some and a global trial of others, from August there will be different versions of rugby union being played around the globe. For players, coaches and spectators, it could be a confusing 12 months.

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