Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, June 21.
Concussed players face longer absence under new rules
Players will face an increased minimum stand-down period of 12 days in a significant concussion protocol change announced by World Rugby.
Under new criteria, which is implemented in the global elite game from July 1, the vast majority of players diagnosed with concussion are set to miss their next match. It follows the latest review of scientific evidence and rugby-specific research by World Rugby's 17-strong independent concussion working group.
Currently, a player who fails a head injury assessment could conceivably feature again the following weekend, provided they follow and pass return-to-play protocols.
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"The evolved approach will see players with a history of concussion or who are removed from a match with obvious concussion symptoms, sit out from play for a minimum of 12 days, likely missing their next competitive match," World Rugby said. "No player will return earlier than the seventh day after injury, and any player's return will need to be approved by an independent concussion consultant."
The procedure will be in place for overseas Tests in July which feature teams like Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland.
Protocols that define a player with a history of concussion include a concussion diagnosis in the previous three months, three concussions diagnosed in the previous 12 months, a player who has been diagnosed with five concussions in their career, and a player who has taken longer than 21 days to recover from a previous concussion.
Lobby group Progressive Rugby has campaigned for World Rugby to extend the return-to-play period since February last year. A spokesperson said: "While long overdue and not the perfect solution, this is a positive step for elite player welfare and will prevent most elite players from being exposed to extreme and unnecessary risk."
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin added: "There are always going to be head impacts and there are always going to be concussions in rugby, so we are never going to eradicate that with the nature of the sport we have. But we want people comfortable that we have got a game that is safe to play at all levels and the sport is doing its best to protect and look after players' safety and welfare. We are making progress, there are lots of areas where we have advanced. You can never do too much in this area. The key for us is to keep advancing with the science, and keep advancing as quickly as possible."
Ntamack walks off pitch after Top 14 title race ends
Romain Ntamack has hit the headlines in France after walking off the pitch after the final whistle when Toulouse were dumped out of the Top 14 title race by underdogs Castres.
The 24-18 semi-final loss, played out at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice on Friday, saw the 23-year-old France fly-half score a sensational try on 47 minutes but his team's efforts were not enough to progress to the final.
His post-match reaction, which saw the No. 10 exit before shaking hands or congratulating the opposition, or acknowledging the travelling Toulouse fans, has been picked up by the French media.
One Midi Olympique journalist, Nicolas Zanardi, defended the son of French legend Emile Ntamack, writing: "I do not understand the relentlessness and hatred concerning Romain Ntamack who made the mistake of going back to the locker room to hide his disappointment after a semi-final. I don’t understand what anyone can blame this boy for.
"He played three minutes in the 2019 final and he didn’t play last year’s final, he is sad and moved, he wants to hide his disappointment out of modesty and we fall on him because he did not go to greet supporters or shake hands with opponents. What would it have been like if he had gone to take selfies with the supporters?
For Ntamack and many of his Toulouse teammates, it marks the premature finish line in their 2021/22 season as France coach Fabien Galthie has opted to rest a number of his star players, including Ntamack, Antoine Dupont, Gregor Alldritt and Julien Marchand, for a two-match Test Series away to Japan.
Coach wants selection rule that would exile World Cup winners
Bulls coach Jake White has doubled down on his belief that South Africa should stop selecting overseas-based players, saying it "cheapens everything we stood for".
The Springboks have something of an open policy when it comes to picking players who ply their club trade abroad, while director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has previously acknowledged that SA Rugby cannot afford to keep many of the leading players in the country due to the current exchange rate and nature of the lucrative offers from elsewhere.
Speaking after his team's United Rugby Championship final defeat to fellow South African side the Stormers, Bulls boss White said : "It shouldn’t be allowed.
"They can’t be overseas and then come back and be a Springbok. It cheapens everything we stood for.
"The reality is quite simple. Why would you stay in SA? Ask every guy if he’d work in London for double his salary or stay here and the answer would generally be the same because they can come back and play for the 'Boks too.
"We can build a team now and in two years all of them disappear. How do we make franchises stronger? I’m obviously excited by my players’ development but how can I tell them to trust me that in four years we’ll demolish everyone if I have no hold on them? It’s another thing in SA Rugby that we just can’t control."
He previously described the country's rugby franchises as academies for overseas clubs.
