World Rugby to consider anti-coronavirus measures

World Rugby's executive committee will consider recommendations this week that could help significantly reduce the risk of coronavirus in the sport. The BBC reports that measures such as limiting face-to-face contact, reducing time in scrums and hygiene procedures will be reviewed.

However, radical changes to the laws, such as eliminating scrums completely, would not apply to the elite game.

Any guidance from World Rugby would also be open to interpretation and implementation by individual unions.

Research conducted by rugby's top medical authorities has found that the sport's high-risk event exposure might be lower than widely expected.

While guidelines from the World Health Organization state that people are at a high risk of catching the virus if they spend 15 minutes cumulatively within one metre of an infected person, the average contact exposure time for second rows - the position in most regular contact with the opposition - is roughly 13.5 cumulative minutes.

Outside backs' high transmission risk time can cumulatively be as low as a minute-and-a-half, with the offside line offering a level of social distancing for those in certain positions.

But while there is no necessity to implement any law or behavioural change under WHO guidance, World Rugby - the game's governing body - has taken steps to help mitigate the risk to players at both the elite and community level.

This could see a clampdown on the number of scrum resets and stricter enforcements over high tackles - which often lead to face-to-face contact - as well as time spent in rucks and mauls.

Among the hygiene measures being considered are the changing and washing of the ball, regular use of hand sanitiser before, during and after matches, changing shirts and head-gear at half-time, and limiting the time teams spend at a ground before a match.