Better Rugby Rules

Source : www.planetrugby.com See post here.

The subject is ELV.

Extracts…

 …”They are also concerned about possible long-term implications, such as driving the maul out of rugby and reducing the scrum’s importance.

..”Those opposed to the variations believe rugby could become little more than glorified touch-rugby, taking away much of its power, technique and confrontation. “….

“As these ELVs could potentially result in major changes to the laws of the game, the RFU believes it is important to consult those involved in the game at every level and give them an opportunity to express their views. “..

 I have heard the unconditional love for the  (the super rugby version) ELVs from Sky TV commentators Tony Johnson and John Drake,  it seams they are in some sort of blind puppy love with them. See my blog posts named ELVs and Chess vs Checkers for a full discussion.

The English RFU are conducting a fan based survey and email forum discussion, good on them I say. The NZRU are not conducting a similar market surveys, however they did have a tree hugging weekend with ‘stake holders’, but I am afraid you and I didn’t get an invite.

Please send me (via contact me page) any URLs of NZ journos work on the objective analysis of the ELVs. I havent seen any in the NZ Herald yet, but this one was close.

ELVs are boring ‘because of refs’ – Peter Thorburn

Extracts…

..”Thorburn said the implementation of the experimental law variations in Super 14 had been flawed, but put that down largely to the referees and, more particularly, coaches.”…

 ..”I hear people say, ‘it’s getting like league, it’s getting like league’. Why is it getting like league? Because of that lack of imagination.”..

…”[I] would go even further and implement an idea first bandied about by French legend Pierre Villepreux, which is to replicate the five-metre rule now used at scrums under the ELVs at rucks.”…

 .”Despite the fundamental flaws in implementing the ELVs, Thorburn insisted that to do away with them would be a grave mistake for a sport already struggling to maintain the public’s imagination.”…

I agree, some of the ELVs are very good, but in no way the current super rugby ELV package is the full and final one.