Howzit to every one on the forum .

This post i sgoing to be quite long but deals with the issue of uncontetsed scrums. Suppose Team A has shown up to play a game at Team B. Team A then tells the ref that their props are still on the way so can the game begin with uncontested scrums, Team B agrees believing that Team A props will arrive, but they never do.

At the start of the game - and all through the game as well - the ref was asked if the points should go to Team B becasue the props never appeared and the ref said NO. Ultimately the game was very close and the end result was 8-5 to Team A that didn't bring any props.

What do you guys make of this?

Surely the ref should have made it clear to Team A that no props to even start the game means no points?

This is and will be a very contensious issue, at all levels of rugby untill the powers that be allow an extra prop to be included on the reserve bench as was the case for the varsity cup and in some of the northern hemisphere competions.

But a teams who dont have a prop to start the game is unexceptable, as there should be atleast 3 props in their 22man squad, so they should not have been allowed to strat the game in the first place. I know a lot of teams struggle in that position(being turn into a prop myself) and it could maybe be overlooked for a 3rd team game but def not at 2nd and 1st team level.

The way I understand it is that the game can be played with uncontested scrums from the onset and that full league points be awarded to the winning team regardless of the offending team. The following is from Law 3.13

(f) When a team does not have suitably trained front row players prior to the match such that contested scrums cannot take place the referee will order uncontested scrums. The referee will report the matter to the Match Organiser.

(g) A Match Organiser may determine within competition rules that a match may not commence in the event of suitably trained and experienced players not being available prior to a match.


I suppose that in this case the Match Organiser is WP Rugby.