Rugby needs a vaccine: Beaumont

Rugby will only be able to return with ‘absolute confidence’ when there is a vaccine in place for coronavirus, says World Rugby boss Sir Bill Beaumont.

The 68-year-old, who was reelected as World Rugby chairman in May, has presided over the release of 10 new law trials to reduce contact in the sport but still believes that risks can't be completely mitigated. “In New Zealand, where is no more coronavirus in the country, they are resuming full physical contact rugby in a couple of weeks,"he told the BBC.

“But it’s only when we get testing, vaccines etc that I think we can be absolutely confident.

“Because of the physical aspect of the game of rugby, it makes it very, very difficult. “We are told we have to keep two metres apart. Well, you just can’t do that on a rugby field.”

The trial laws, which include a time limit on mauls and rucks and the removal of scrum resets, have received a lukewarm reception worldwide but Beaumont defended them and emphasised they were optional.

“If we knew when sanctions were going to be lifted and people can start contact, then it would be a lot easier to plan,” he said.

“But what we have done is come up with a set of law variations that countries would be able to implement if they wanted to try them.

“It’s less scrums, less lineouts and basically less physical contact, but that is up to each individual country whether they want to try that." Northern hemisphere rugby has been disrupted far more by Covid-19 than in New Zealand, where the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition will kick off in two weeks with a game between the Highlanders and Chiefs.

Domestic competitions in the north still do not have a return date and there are now fears they will clash with plans to stage a Six Nations tournament later in the year.

Gloomy Picture

Also speaking on the BBC, former England and British and Irish Lions halfback Matt Dawson painted a gloomy picture, arguing that players would be concerned about returning to training.

“Unfortunately, I just can’t see international or first class rugby getting back for a while,” Dawson said.

“The game is fundamentally different if you change and try to play by the suggested laws that World Rugby have come to because they want people to enjoy the game and carry on playing rugby in their own environments.

"To be competitive in that area, the rules need to be pretty much the same and that involves a huge amount of contact, not only in the game, but training as well.

“There will be a lot of players around the world who won’t be comfortable in those types of environments, training and playing, because it could potentially affect them and their families and people around them.

“So it is going to be a tricky one. Unfortunately, just by the nature of rugby, we are probably going to be right at the back end of time that supporters have to wait until they see it.

“It’s just the reality of the position we are in.”