League Notes: National Rugby League, Clubs Rip Denver Test

The National Rugby League, players' union and clubs "launched a fresh attack" on the midseason test between England and New Zealand in Denver, "declaring they cannot support the game and will not prevent players" from pulling out of the match. The organizations said in a letter, "We will engage with the RLIF (Rugby League Int'l Federation) on its sanctioning criteria but irrespective of the outcome of those discussions, if RLIF was to sanction a Test match in Denver in June beyond 2018, there is little prospect that NRL players will be released to participate in the match" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/29).

In a "potentially significant move in the battle to reduce the threat of concussion," World Rugby announced two separate trials to changes of the tackle law. The governing body "has been promising to bring in new tackle law trials for 18 months but finally brought in two," one of which "lowers the height of the legal tackle" with the other "legislating against tacklers with an upright body position" (LONDON TIMES, 5/26).