French league not adopting six again rule and retains scrums

The French Federation has confirmed that the set restart rule introduced in the NRL and Super League this year will not be adopted by them for the new French season.

The Elite 2 Championship got underway at the weekend, with the Elite 1 division starting at the end of the month.

But they will continue to operate under different rules, after deciding to keep scrums and not adopt the so-called six again rule, that resets the tackle count to zero for a range of infringements around the ruck, rather than stopping the game for a penalty.

Scrums will also remain, which has been in the case in the NRL – but since Super League restarted in August, scrums have not featured to combat the impact of coronavirus and there have since been calls for them to be permanently abolished.

Meanwhile, a number of guidelines have been implemented by FFR XIII in reference to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

A league table may be finalised if Elite 1 clubs have played at least 14 games (10 games for Elite 2), which comes after last season was curtailed and scrubbed from the records midway through the season following the outbreak of the pandemic.

Dates for the French Magic Weekend and the Coupe de France will be considered depending on the progress of the pandemic, and clubs must appoint a COVID-19 officer.