Incoming Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has thrown his support behind a renewed push to have rugby's experimental laws trialled globally.

The game's experimental law variations (ELVs) are back on the International Rugby Board (IRB) council's agenda for its meeting on May 1.

The ELVs are currently being trialled at their highest level in the Super 14 competition and the IRB had not been due to discuss progressing them until November.

But the ELVs have received positive feedback from Super 14 coaches, including the Crusaders' Deans and Sharks boss Dick Muir who were at a meeting of the IRB's laws project group in late March which was attended by representatives of all the Six Nations Unions in London.

If the IRB council votes in favour of a global trial at its meeting next month, it is likely the experimental period will begin in August to coincide with the start of the European club season.

This would open the way for them to be used in this year's Tri Nations series and the 2011 World Cup.

They will not be employed when the northern hemisphere teams tour the southern hemisphere in June and July because their players would not have had any experience of them at club or provincial level.

"Because of the two-year law moratorium before the World Cup, if we were going to bring in the ELVs, the worldwide trial had to happen sooner rather than later," IRB head of communications Greg Thomas told News Ltd.

One of the key messages delivered by the project group to the Six Nations representatives was that the basic fabric of the game remained unchanged.

Data has shown that matches have similar numbers of set pieces, scrums remain important, the ball is in play longer and more tries are being scored.

"I believe the ELVs are great for rugby and will make the game easier, more enjoyable to play and simpler," Deans said.

"The game should cater for all shapes and sizes and the ELVs do this. They will also mean that players will influence the results of matches more so than referees.

"I am right behind the new law changes that are being used in this year's Super 14."

The project group also wants proposed laws not currently being trialled in the Super 14 - the use of hands in the rucks, the variation in numbers in the lineout and pulling down of the maul - should be added to any global trial.

Meanwhile, the IRB will also consider whether it, rather than national unions, should employ the world's leading referees.

IRB referees boss Paddy O'Brien said the idea had been "bandied about for some time" as a way to increase the independence of match officials.

"It's a strategic meeting that will look at where refereeing is heading for the next four years," O'Brien told New Zealand newspaper The Dominion Post.

"We'll discuss things like whether we need specialised touch judges and TMOs.

"And we'll discuss whether the IRB should take over the fulltime employment of the referees, and that they then control games in the northern and southern hemisphere competitions."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP