New Rugby Coronavirus Laws

[Tiglon]

Seems like a waste of time to me. Surely if one of the players on the pitch has coronavirus, most of the other players will have it by the end of the match, even with these new laws.

Attempting social distancing on a rugby pitch just seems bonkers.

Will any of this actually make anyone safer, or is it just PR?

BBC News - World Rugby approve law trials to reduce coronavirus risk

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/52833173

[jgriffin]

Some of this smells like the changes some SH types wanted anyway! Almost RL and maul restriction could be interesting
Test on the morning of the game, including officials the only necessity IMO, the rest is window dressing. If players have already had it, green card status (as recent French and. Chinese research shows antibodies present means virus dead). Most sanitisation measures useless anyway outside care/health environments. Frankly, unless there's a vaccine, the rest is pointless.

[JP14]

Apart from the elimination of the choke tackle, I concur that the rest of these are bonkers.

[kend]

Some of this smells like the changes some SH types wanted anyway! Almost RL and maul restriction could be interesting
Test on the morning of the game, including officials the only necessity IMO, the rest is window dressing. If players have already had it, green card status (as recent French and. Chinese research shows antibodies present means virus dead). Most sanitisation measures useless anyway outside care/health environments. Frankly, unless there's a vaccine, the rest is pointless.

Actually, NZ and Australia are unlikely to need to implement these, as they have suppressed C-19 to near elimination. In England, with R(e) sitting between 0.5 to 1 and the country starting to re-open, it will be an issue for some considerable time.

[GETHIN EXILE]

I didn't think the scrum was an "option" when an attacker is held up in goal.

eliminating reset scrums will be impossible unless all scrums become uncontested.

currently if you have a dominant scrum and have the option on the 5 metre line you will always look to score a try,
the removal of the option will lead to much more kicking at goal

[JP14]

What you point out is true Kend, but I wouldn't put it pass the Anzacs to implement these trial laws under the pretence of the current pandemic.

[JP14]

Apparently Prem Rugby & NZ have rejected all trials... good I guess although I do hate it as a spectator (loved it as a player because I was lazy )

[cheltexile]

Surely they would be better off just isolating each player before the game, testing them for COVID and using the result of that as a basis for deciding if they can play or not, at the same full tilt as a normal game. All this faffing around with half measures that just ruin the whole rugby experience just seem completely pointless.

[mol2]

Barely over 100 positive tests a day in Britain at present.
By the time matches recommence the numbers will be even lower.

These players are young and at minimal risk if they were to contract Covid. Changing the laws on the limited possibility that it might reduce transmission in a meaningful way is not logical.

Risks like this cannot be reduced to zero until and unless an effective vaccination is found and widespread. On the day testing might have a limited role.

That’s not a justification for taking risks but professional contact sports like rugby will be forced into deciding to go back to work or go bust. Their risk will likely be lower than a 60 year old supermarket worker.
Crowds can watch on TV for now. Amateur sport can wait. The rest of the world has to go back to work and the measures to reduce risks have to be workable.

[Not a jock]

There were 1,887 confirmed (by testing) new cases yesterday.

[JP14]

Slight confusion between tests and deaths there. I think the common misconception is that the no of cases has to be 0 before normality can resume which is currently impossible without the vaccine so as long as the R rate is down and there are enough hospital beds to treat cases life will have to return to normal so we actually have any money at all to keep the NHS running.

[jgriffin]

Don't get overexcited. South Coast, London reporting surges. Too early yet. However players may decide in the end, especially those with young families.

[Tiglon]

In the UK, 1,000 people a year die from falling down the stairs. Anyone worried about walking down the stairs this morning? Nope, didn't think so.

[kk20gb30]

In practical terms I can honestly see no point in the changes with regard to their desired aim. Governing bodies have to be seen to be proactive in these times and because of this I'd applaud the intentions but the fact that the law changes are not compulsory nor are they being adopted by The Premiership (and others) perhaps puts things into better perspective.

[Cagey Tiger]

In the UK, 1,000 people a year die from falling down the stairs. Anyone worried about walking down the stairs this morning? Nope, didn't think so.

Wrong. Loads of people have that worry. But the ones who DO worry about falling down stairs move into a bungalow if they can.