Law laboratory moves to Shute Shield

Sydney guinea pigs

The experiment into possible law changes will move to Sydney in April.

The process started in Stellenbosch in the residence league. Then it moved to Scotland and the new Scottish Cup. Now it moves to the Shute Shield in Sydney.

The Scottish experiment is unfortunately fragmented because of gaps in the competition, but in the Shute Shield, as at Stellenbosch, teams will be able to play over an unbroken period of three and a half months for the Shield starts on 7 April with a final on 28 July.

There is a lot of experience in the men monitoring the experiment -  Paddy O'Brien, the referees manager, and top coaches of the recent past in Rod Macqueen (Australia), Pierre Villepreux (France), Richie Dixon (Scotland) and Ian McIntosh (South Africa).

The Shute Shield will be played under the "Stellenbosch rules" which are aimed at simplifying/standardizing the Laws of the Game and speeding it up. It especially seeks to simplify what happens after a tackle and to reduce the number of penalties.

Eventually the proposals for Law changes will be put to the International Rugby Board which will introduce any approved changes after the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Tooheys New Shute Shield 2007 Fixtures

Round 1 – Saturday 7 April

Eastwood vs Gordon  
Warringah vs Southern Districts  
Manly vs Parramatta  
West Harbour vs Penrith  
Randwick vs Northern Suburbs   
Illawarra vs Eastern Suburbs

Round 2 – Saturday 14 April

Southern Districts vs Eastwood
Eastern Suburbs vs Warringah
Penrith vs Manly Nepean
Randwick vs West Harbour   
Northern Suburbs vs Sydney University
Parramatta vs Illawarra Two

Round 3 – Saturday 21 April

Eastwood vs Eastern Suburbs  
Gordon vs Southern Districts
Warringah vs Parramatta  
Manly vs Randwick  
Sydney University vs West Harbour
Illawarra vs Penrith

Round 4 – Saturday 28 April

Eastwood vs Parramatta  
Gordon vs Eastern Suburbs
Penrith vs Warringah Nepean
Sydney University vs Manly
West Harbour vs Northern Suburbs  
Randwick vs Illawarra   

Round 5 – Saturday 5 May

Penrith vs Eastwood Nepean
Parramatta vs Gordon Two
Eastern Suburbs vs Southern Districts
Warringah vs Randwick  
Northern Suburbs vs Manly
Illawarra vs Sydney University

Round 6 – Saturday 12 May

Eastwood vs Randwick  
Gordon vs Penrith
Southern Districts vs Parramatta
Sydney University vs Warringah
Manly vs West Harbour  
Northern Suburbs vs Illawarra

Round 7 – Saturday 19 May

Sydney University vs Eastwood
Randwick vs Gordon   
Penrith vs Southern Districts Nepean
Eastern Suburbs vs Parramatta
Warringah vs Northern Suburbs  
Illawarra vs West Harbour 

Round 8 – Saturday 26 May

Manly vs Gordon  
West Harbour vs Southern Districts  
Eastern Suburbs vs Northern Suburbs
Parramatta vs Sydney University Two
Penrith vs Randwick Nepean
Eastwood vs Illawarra

Round 9 – Saturday 2 June

West Harbour vs Eastwood  
Northern Suburbs vs Gordon
Southern Districts vs Sydney University
Randwick vs Eastern Suburbs   
Parramatta vs Penrith Two
Manly vs Warringah  

Round 10 – Saturday 9 June

Eastwood vs Northern Suburbs  
Gordon vs Sydney University
Southern Districts vs Randwick
Eastern Suburbs vs Penrith
West Harbour vs Warringah  
Illawarra vs Manly  

Round 11 – Saturday 16 June

Manly vs Eastwood  
Gordon vs West Harbour
Northern Suburbs vs Southern Districts
Sydney University vs Eastern Suburbs
Randwick vs Parramatta   
Warringah vs Illawarra

Round 12 – Saturday 23 June

Warringah vs Eastwood  
Southern Districts vs Manly
West Harbour vs Eastern Suburbs  
Parramatta vs Northern Suburbs 
Penrith vs Sydney University Nepean
Illawarra vs Gordon  

Round 13 – Saturday 30 June

Gordon vs Warringah
Eastern Suburbs vs Manly
Parramatta vs West Harbour Two
Northern Suburbs vs Penrith
Sydney University vs Randwick
Southern Districts vs Illawarra

Elimination Semi-finals – Saturday 7 July

Elimination/Qualifying Finals – Saturday 14 July

Preliminary Final – Saturday 21 July

Grand Final – Saturday 28 July

Plate Play-offs

Elimination Semi-finals – Saturday 7 July

Elimination/Qualifying Finals – Saturday 14 July

Preliminary Final – Saturday 21 July

Grand Final – Saturday 28 July