KEY POINTS:
Rugby's experimental law variations are back on the International Rugby Board (IRB) council's agenda for its meeting in May.
The ELVs are being trialled at their highest level in the Super 14 championship and the IRB had not been due to discuss progressing them until November.
But the
ELVs have received positive feedback from Super 14 coaches, including Robbie Deans of the Crusaders and Dick Muir of the Sharks who were at a meeting of the IRB's Laws Project Group (LPG) in late March which was attended by representatives of all the Six Nations Unions in London.
If the IRB council votes in favour of a global trial at its meeting next month, it is likely the experimental period will begin in August to coincide with the start of the European club season.
This would open the way for them to be used in the Tri Nations and the 2011 World Cup.
They will not be employed when the northern hemisphere teams tour the southern hemisphere in June and July because their players would not have had any experience of them at club or provincial level.
"Because of the two-year law moratorium before the World Cup, if we were going to bring in the ELVs, the worldwide trial had to happen sooner rather than later," IRB head of communications Greg Thomas told The Australian newspaper.
"As a result, a decision on the ELVs has been added to a special meeting of the IRB council on May 1."
Thomas said there was a possibility of the new laws being used in the Tri Nations.
"It won't happen in the June tests because the northern hemisphere has had no opportunity to play under the ELVs."
One of the key messages delivered by the LPG to the Six Nations representatives on the ELVs was that the basic fabric of the game remained unchanged.
Deans and Muir agreed with data that said the game remained fundamentally the same; matches had similar numbers of set pieces; the scrum remained an important element; contest for possession increased; the ball was in play longer; more tries were being scored; and there had been positive feedback from players and referees indicating how much they enjoyed playing under the ELVs.
"I believe the ELVs are great for rugby and will make the game easier, more enjoyable to play and simpler," Deans said.
"The game should cater for all shapes and sizes and the ELVs do this. They will also mean that players will influence the results of matches more so than referees.
"I am right behind the new law changes that are being used in this year's Super 14."
The key laws not being trialled in the Super 14 are the use of hands in the rucks, the variation in numbers in the lineout and sacking the maul.
"The law project group believes there should be a holistic approach and that the whole raft of laws be trialled," Thomas said.
"But I have to emphasise that there is no guarantee the IRB will write the ELVs into law on a permanent basis after the year-long global trial period.
"The IRB could decide to introduce all of the laws, some of the laws or none of the laws."
- NZPA
