Rugby union to trial rolling substitutions?

Wednesday 17 March 2010
Published By: Amy Nicholson
All Rugby > BM Site Sections

Rugby union could be set to adopt the rugby league format of rolling substitutions after a trial of the system was announced.

RFU's Image of the Game Task Group conducted a review last year recommending that rolling substitutions would be of benefit not only to the players' welfare, but would also simplify game management and increase player participation.

The new system will first be trialled in County Championship matches, a move which has been welcomed by Bill Beaumont, vice chairman of the IRB.

He explained: "The County Championship is an ideal tournament to trial rolling substitutions, as it has done with the ELVs in the past. You don't know whether things will work unless you try them and I am looking forward to seeing how this one goes."

The task force was originally set up after the infamous Harlequins 'bloodgate' debacle to identify whether a substitution system could be put in place which would eliminate the need for teams to employ such underhand tactics.