Rugby Board to trial new scrum

A REVISED scrum engagement sequence will be trialled globally following unanimous backing from the IRB’s expert Scrum Steering Group.

The trial, which will incorporate the sequence ‘crouch, touch, set’, was approved at a meeting of the specialist group – made up of Union and players’ representatives, former players and other experts – in Bristol, England, last month.The revised engagement process will be trialled alongside the five Law amendments announced in May, from the start of the next season in each hemisphere and forms one part of the IRB’s ongoing commitment to improving the scrum phase of the Game.The sequence will see the front rows crouch then touch and using their outside arm each prop touches the point of the opposing prop’s outside shoulder. The props then withdraw their arms. The referee will then call ‘set’ when the front rows are ready. The front rows may then set the scrum.This sequence was one of six that were extensively researched at six different levels of the Game, including Women’s Rugby, as part of the initial trial process. ‘Crouch, touch, set’ was found to be the most successful and will now be trialled on a global level.IRB Rugby Committee Chairman and former New Zealand captain Graham Mourie said: ‘Most people accept the scrum is currently a problematic area of the Game, accounting for roughly 17 per cent of match time in elite Rugby and with more than 50 per cent of scrums resulting in collapses or resets.’The IRB is committed to addressing these issues and has tasked the specialist steering group to identify the causes and solutions. This is a positive first step, but it should be noted that we must wait for the outcomes of the three-year Scrum Forces Project before we can take an holistic approach to the scrum.’IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: ‘The scrum is a complex, dynamic area and it was very clear from the advice and expertise evaluated by the Scrum Steering Group that there is no quick and easy fix. There are many contributing factors and we need to take a complete view of the scrum environment including engagement, Laws, forces and player welfare.’- irb.com