Sandbach RUFC Launch New Kit and Return to Play

Following the announcement by the Government earlier in the week, Sandbach RUFC will be allowed to return to training and playing rugby, albeit in an adjusted format.

The Government approval enabling an adapted form of contact rugby to resume in the Community Game. The adapted game will bring in temporary law variations, which will come into effect for match play. The approval allows the resumption of tailored contact training from Wednesday 2 December, to give players time to prepare, ahead of the permitted return to local friendly fixtures from Friday 18 December. The new law variations being:

• There will be no scrums or mauls in the game.
• Instead of a scrum, the game will begin with a free kick, which cannot be taken quickly.
• A minimum of five and a maximum of seven players from each team are required to form a lineout.
• A team awarded a penalty or free kick will no longer be able to choose a scrum option.
• A team awarded a penalty or free kick at a lineout can instead choose another lineout at the same mark.

Sandbach have decided that two weeks of training is not really sufficient to get players match hardened, whatever the format, and accordingly, their training will focus on ‘preparation for performance rugby’ and becoming familiar with the adapted rules/ laws. They plan to play competitive “friendly” games from early January in the new format.