NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport

Rugby: World Rugby considering dropping scrums, mauls to hasten return

NZ Herald
23 May, 2020 12:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Focus Sport: Aaron Smith on Highlanders return to training
'Sweating it out with the brothers instead of yourself was a great feeling' - Aaron Smith ...
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
0:00
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
    • captions off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Text Background
      Caption Area Background
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      Sail GP returns to Auckland in 2026

      UP NEXT:

      Autoplay in
      4
      Disable Autoplay
      Cancel Video
      'Sweating it out with the brothers instead of yourself was a great feeling' - Aaron Smith
      NOW PLAYING • Focus Sport: Aaron Smith on Highlanders return to training
      'Sweating it out with the brothers instead of yourself was a great feeling' - Aaron Smith ...
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      World Rugby is reportedly considering dramatic law changes as a way to get the sport running again after the Covid-19 pandemic.

      According to the Times, World Rugby's Law Review Group has highlighted scrums and mauls as high-risk areas of the game that could be adapted or removed entirely by unions around the world to resume competition.

      The close contact involved in scrums and mauls is unique among professional sport and rugby union has faced more challenges than most other sports in justifying its resumption in the face of a highly contagious virus.

      "The face-to-face contact in the scrums and rucks is unique and that is what is being looked at closely," a source told the paper.

      READ MORE:
      • Rugby: Rugby Australia advised to ditch focus on Super Rugby
      • Covid 19 coronavirus: New Zealand Rugby confirm details for 'Super Rugby Aotearoa' at alert level 2
      • Rugby: Super Rugby Aotearoa set for June kick-off
      • Super Rugby Aotearoa: Sam Whitelock on new role at Crusaders and missing out on All Blacks captaincy

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      Now, World Rugby is looking at ways players can minimise time spent in those close-contact situations and scrums could be the first major phase of the game on the block.

      According to the report, a free kick could replace scrums, mauls would be removed from the game and line-outs could go uncontested.

      "The idea is to provide options for the professional and the community game below that, particularly if they do not have access to testing," the source added.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      The idea of removing or limiting close-contact situations from the sport is expected to come under severe criticism. The opinion of one top coach is already known.

      England coach Eddie Jones commented in 2017, after Italy refused to commit players to the ruck against his side, that it just wouldn't be rugby.

      "When you lose a primary contest from the game, it ceases to be rugby," he said. "So, if you paid for your ticket, ask for your money back."

      New Zealand Rugby has confirmed that a domestic form of Super Rugby will start on Saturday June 13, but many international unions are struggling to get going again, particularly in Europe where plans to resume playing lag well behind other sports.

      Discover more

      League

      'Left it to Allah': SBW opens up on fasting during lockdown

      21 May 08:32 PM
      Sport|rugby

      Phil Gifford: The ambitious plan to get fans back at Super Rugby matches

      22 May 12:00 AM
      Super Rugby

      Red-carded: Another 'big hit' for NZ rugby

      22 May 03:00 AM
      All Blacks

      Sam Whitelock: How I heard I wouldn't captain the All Blacks

      22 May 04:15 AM
      Save

        Share this article

      Latest from Sport

      Formula 1Updated

      ‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

      03 Jul 09:00 PM
      Formula 1

      'There are always rumours': Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future

      03 Jul 08:09 PM
      Boxing

      Mexican boxer arrested, faces deportation days after loss to Jake Paul

      03 Jul 07:34 PM

      There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

      sponsored
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Recommended for you
      Fonterra strengthens China market with grass-fed dairy standard
      Sponsored Stories

      Fonterra strengthens China market with grass-fed dairy standard

      03 Jul 09:19 PM
      Shed fire in Napier closes road
      Hawkes Bay Today

      Shed fire in Napier closes road

      03 Jul 09:02 PM
      ‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix
      Formula 1

      ‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

      03 Jul 09:00 PM
      NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today
      New Zealand

      NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

      03 Jul 08:59 PM
      'Mortified': BoP Harbourmaster acts to prevent another Rena disaster
      Bay of Plenty Times

      'Mortified': BoP Harbourmaster acts to prevent another Rena disaster

      03 Jul 08:59 PM

      Latest from Sport

      ‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

      ‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

      03 Jul 09:00 PM

      The Kiwi boasts a strong record at Silverstone before this weekend’s race.

      'There are always rumours': Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future

      'There are always rumours': Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future

      03 Jul 08:09 PM
      Mexican boxer arrested, faces deportation days after loss to Jake Paul

      Mexican boxer arrested, faces deportation days after loss to Jake Paul

      03 Jul 07:34 PM
      NZ Herald Sports Update: July 4, 2025

      NZ Herald Sports Update: July 4, 2025

      From early mornings to easy living
      sponsored

      From early mornings to easy living

      NZ Herald
      • About NZ Herald
      • Meet the journalists
      • Newsletters
      • Classifieds
      • Help & support
      • Contact us
      • House rules
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of use
      • Competition terms & conditions
      • Our use of AI
      Subscriber Services
      • NZ Herald e-editions
      • Daily puzzles & quizzes
      • Manage your digital subscription
      • Manage your print subscription
      • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
      • Subscribe to Herald Premium
      • Gift a subscription
      • Subscriber FAQs
      • Subscription terms & conditions
      • Promotions and subscriber benefits
      NZME Network
      • The New Zealand Herald
      • The Northland Age
      • The Northern Advocate
      • Waikato Herald
      • Bay of Plenty Times
      • Rotorua Daily Post
      • Hawke's Bay Today
      • Whanganui Chronicle
      • Viva
      • NZ Listener
      • Newstalk ZB
      • BusinessDesk
      • OneRoof
      • Driven Car Guide
      • iHeart Radio
      • Restaurant Hub
      NZME
      • About NZME
      • NZME careers
      • Advertise with NZME
      • Digital self-service advertising
      • Book your classified ad
      • Photo sales
      • NZME Events
      • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
      All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
      Subscribe now

      All Access Weekly

      From $2 per week
      Pay just
      $15.75
      $2
      per week ongoing
      Subscribe now
      BEST VALUE

      All Access Annual

      Pay just
      $449
      $49
      per year ongoing
      Subscribe now
      Learn more
      30
      TOP
      search by queryly Advanced Search