The Rugby Championship to adopt IRB scrum engagement law
SANZAR will adopt the new ‘crouch, bind, set’ scrum engagement process for The Rugby Championship 2013.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) recently announced a global trial of the new process to commence at the start of the respective new seasons in each hemisphere. The trial is aimed at enhancing player welfare by reducing the impact of engagement by up to 25 per cent, as well as consolidating first-time completion rate of scrums and therefore enhancing the spectacle for fans.
SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said, “Whilst the trial is not officially meant to commence in the southern hemisphere until the start of next season, SANZAR, with the IRB’s support, will introduce it for The Rugby Championship this year.
“It will also mean our international players will have been exposed to the new engagement process prior to heading north for the Tests in November where this process will have been in place since the start of that season in September.
“Player welfare is of utmost importance and we feel the global trial is taking positive steps to improve this area of the game and we look forward to seeing the new Law in action during The Rugby Championship from August.”
SANZAR also advises, as was the case last year, 23-man squads will continue in The Rugby Championship this year.
Introduced by the IRB to Test rugby last year, the Law permits squads to include an extra replacement front-row forward, virtually eliminating ‘non-contested’ scrums as evidenced by not one single instance in the two years since 23-man squads were adopted by the European Rugby Club (ERC) for use in the Heineken Cup.
In addition to this, 23-man squads will be extended to Super Rugby 2014.
Click here for more information on the IRB’s new scrum engagement trial.
The IRB has also announced a panel of 12 referees for The Rugby Championship:
Craig Joubert (SARU), Chris Pollock (NZRU), Jaco Peyper (SARU), Steve Walsh (ARU), Alain Rolland (IRFU), Jerome Garces (FFR), George Clancy (IRFU), Romain Poite (FFR), Nigel Owens (WRU) and Wayne Barnes (RFU). Peyper and Garces will referee two matches each.
Rugby World Cup 2011 Final Referee Craig Joubert will officiate the first match under the scrum engagement trial sequence when he takes charge of Australia v New Zealand on August 17.
The full referee schedule can be accessed here.
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