The final of the Scottish Hydro Electric Super Cup will be staged at Myreside, in Edinburgh on Saturday 31 March with a 3pm kick-off.

The competition, which features all ten Premier Division 1 clubs, has been capturing the headlines as it has been used to trial the International Rugby Board’s Experimental Law Variations which are designed to make rugby simpler, easier to understand, easier to play and to take out subjectivity from refereeing decisions.

IRB Laws Project Group chairman, Scotland’s Bill Nolan, said: “Last year an IRB Laws Project Group used the rugby laboratory at Stellenbosch University in South Africa to undertake a detailed review on the laws of the game and in particular the areas of the tackle and post tackle that are proving to be the most difficult to interpret in a practical manner at present.

“Following the trial a review of the ELVs was undertaken and the next stage in their development was to test them in a higher level of competition and that’s where the Scottish Hydro Electric Super Cup has come in.”

Former Scotland coach, Richie Dixon, a member of the Laws Project Group, said: “After two rounds of fixtures I’m very encouraged by the positive manner in which the Premier One clubs are trying to play the game under the experimental laws. I think if we can continue in this manner then we will certainly compile some very good evidence for the IRB’s Laws Project Group to consider.”

Nolan explained that members of the group had already received footage of three games on video and that all planned to view the penultimate round of matches in person on 24 March. Feedback from other countries, where some experiments are being conducted, will also be gathered with a view to the Laws Project Group convening in the Autumn to map the way forward.

He added: “We are seeing a number of very good things under the experimental laws and the clubs and the Scottish Rugby Union are to be commended for the manner in which they’ve engaged.

“The IRB playing charter – and the need for rugby union to remain a game for people of all shapes and sizes – remains uppermost in our minds and to those who suggest the experimental laws sound the death knell for the maul I would disagree.

“There remains room for a mauling game under the experiments but that maul has to be a bit more dynamic,” he contended.

Jock Millican, Secretary of the Premier 1 Forum, said: “Initially everything was a bit harem-scarem but once people start thinking about it, it need not be so.”


The IRB Laws Project Group includes former World Cup winning Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen, former Springbok coach Ian McIntosh, former Scotland coach Richie Dixon, former French player, coach and current IRB Regional Development Manager Pierre Villepreux, IRB Referee Manager Paddy O'Brien, IRB medical director Mick Molloy, former All Blacks captain Graham Mourie, former England prop Jason Leonard, IRB Development Manager Bruce Cook and IRB Strategy Manager Steve Griffiths.

This article was posted on 13-Feb-2007, 23:13 by Hugh Barrow.