Scrum hit takes a hit

A new scrum engagement sequence, with no “Hit”, has been devised for amateur rugby to minimise the risks of serious injury.

From now on, scrum engagements at amateur level will be divided into three categories:

1. First category (Under-9 and younger): The scrum engagement will be passive engagement with no contest.

2. Second category (U11s to U16s, including provincial school age-group rugby): Engagement will also be passive, meaning there is no hit, but full scrum contest will be allowed until the scrum has moved 1.5 metres.

3. Third category (U18, including provincial school age-group rugby, to the second highest tier club rugby): Props will pre-bind with a reduced hit on engagement. At schools level, the 1.5m rule applies, but above that, the scrum will be fully contestable.

At these levels, teams feeding the scrum will not concede possession if the scrum passes through 45 degrees (schools) or 90 degrees (adults). In this instance, the scrum will be reset, unless the wheel was intentional, where the referee will penalise the offending team. Binding post-engagement between the two front rows has to be such that the elbows are not lower than the shoulder line.

The engagement call for these three categories will be “crouch, bind, scrum” and the distance between the packs pre-setting will be reduced to where the heads of the two front rows are aligned ear-to-ear and in the opposite channel.

The regular “crouch, touch, set” sequence and IRB scrum laws will apply in all other rugby from the level of super league club rugby (the highest tier of club rugby in each province) and up, including provincial adult representative age-group rugby (U19 and U21) and all professional rugby.

The modifications at amateur level have been introduced because studies have shown that more than a third (37%) of all serious and catastrophic head, neck and spine injuries in rugby, emanate from scrums. Most of these injuries in South Africa occur in amateur rugby, where technical ability, strength, fitness and conditioning levels are not as advanced as in the professional game.

Evidence has shown that targeted interventions on scrum-related injuries are effective in reducing spinal cord injuries.

Grunt editor and ex WP prop Tank Lanning will make comment on the new engagement process later today …