The chances are that the ELVs are going to cause a lot of confusion and controversy before they have the desired effect of opening up the game, and those fans who already complain about crooked feeds at scrums and forwards passes will have even more ammunition.

A summary of the variations can be found on the RFU website here.

The club game has, of course, become faster and more open since the dawn of professionalism, and whether the new laws help maintain that so-called progress remains to be seen.
But wasn’t rugby a game for all shapes and sizes? It will probably remain so down the ladder, but it appears that at higher levels, the days of big forwards lumbering up and down the pitch at a snail’s pace are over.
Players need to be athletes now, whether they are props or wingers.

However, we particularly like the change which sees quick line-out throws being allowed to go backwards, the rule outlawing passing back into the 22 and kicking to touch on he full and the removal of the restriction on the number of players allowed in a line-out.
But even with an assistant referee (an awful job if ever there was one), refs are going to need even more than the two pairs of eyes they already needs to keep on top of things.

What do you think? Will it make the game better, will it make life more difficult for refs, should the IRB stop messing about with the game just because Southern hemisphere teams are moaning because they no longer have big forwards?
By the way, in case you are wondering, we haven't a clue which levels of rugby will be playing under which ELVs - if anybody knows, can they post a link on the message board?

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