A new competition dedicated entirely to rugby’s most brutal contest is gaining traction, with a prop at the centre of the action.
Conor Ganley, a semi-professional front rower, has launched the Elite Scrummaging Championship – a tournament featuring nothing but scrums.
There is no ball and no scrumhalf, just eight-man packs going head-to-head in a test of power and technique.
“What more could you want as a prop forward?” Ganley told The Times. “All of us in the front row love scrummaging, and no one else really gets it.”
The concept is simple: eight teams compete in head-to-head bouts, pushing their opponents over the halfway mark in timed rounds.
It is, as Ganley describes it, “the world’s most brutal game of chess”.
The eight teams are largely made up of players from the semi-professional or amateur levels three, four and five of the English pyramid. They will gather at Rosslyn Park in London on 2 May to sort the men … from the men.
“It’s like wrestling,” Ganley explained. “Eight of the biggest guys on the pitch, all alone. You can lift any weight in the gym you want, but it’s nothing like scrummaging.”
The idea has already caught the attention of top players, including Thomas du Toit.
“I’ve seen this! Sign me up,” the Bok prop told The Times.
Manchester will come next after a second London event in August. He has had calls asking to bring the Elite Scrummaging Championship to Cape Town, Sydney, Boston or Chicago.
ALSO: World Rugby shuts down scrum-killing talk
How it works
- No ball, no scrumhalf.
- Teams made up of eight-man pack, two substitutes and a travelling reserve tighthead prop.
- Engagement sequence is “crouch, bind, set”.
- Hookers must show a “brake foot” (a foot extended in front of them to steady their pack).
- Once the scrum is steady, the referee will sound a horn to start the contest.
How it’s scored
- The aim is to drive the opposing pack over the halfway line.
- Each team starts with 10 points, like boxing.
- If all eight players cross halfway, they win the round 10-7. This is called a “blowout”.
- If no “blowout”, the greatest territorial gain wins, and a 10-9 score.
- Points are deducted for scrum infringements (e.g. collapsing, wheeling. pushing early, standing up).
- Any intentional collapse ends the round. Scored 10-7.
- Fighting is banned. Any scraps will result in an immediate round loss. 10-5.
The post Saffa dream, Aussie nightmare: Nothing but scrums! appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
A new competition dedicated entirely to rugby’s most brutal contest is gaining traction, with a prop at the centre of the action.
The post Saffa dream, Aussie nightmare: Nothing but scrums! appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
