Mauls protected by ELV rejection

THE MAUL’S place at the heart of rugby is set to be preserved following a meeting of nearly 60 senior rugby stakeholders.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) conference — which featured coaches, referees, administrators and representatives from all the major unions — was called to discuss the global impact of experimental law variations (ELVs) currently being trialled.

After two days of detailed review, including statistics from over 800 matches in 15 different countries, a total of 10 ELVs were recommended to be passed into full law. But the two most controversial ELVs were not ratified.

The conference recommended the law allowing mauls to be pulled down should be thrown out. And the sanctions ELV which sees most offences penalised with a free-kick, currently being trialled in the southern hemisphere, has been sent away for further review.

The committee also rejected the ELV allowing teams to select as many players as they want in the lineout.

Recommended ELVs include a five-metre off-side line at the scrum and the pass-back rule, which prevents players from making any ground with a kick to touch if the ball has been played back into their own 22.

The conference was not a decision-making forum but was designed to help the IRB’s rugby committee finalise their own list of ELV recommendations to put before the full IRB council on May 13.

The IRB’s rugby committee will finalise their list of recommendations at a meeting in Dublin on April 27 before presenting their case to the council.

The rugby committee will take their recommendations to the IRB council on May 13, where a two-thirds majority vote will be required. A final decision will be announced on July 1.

Given the tone of the conference at the Lensbury Club, it would be a major surprise if the rugby committee did not take on board the recommendations — both for and against — in full.

IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “We held a positive and constructive meeting at which all stakeholders were able to share their opinions on each of the ELVs.

“What was clear was that there was agreement on many aspects of the ELVs and a collective will to see a return to one set of laws to govern the game as soon as possible. Council will decide which ELVs, if any, should be fully integrated into law.”